Florida gang member sentence in Market Street heroin sales

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A Florida gang member will spend up to two years in jail after being sentence for heroin sales at a Market Street hotel.

According to a release from the New Hanover County District Attorney’s office, Darrius Franklin “Stanky Franky” Autry, pled guilty to two counts of sale of heroin. The Honorable Phyllis M. Gorham sentenced Autry to 14-26 months at the Department of Adult Correction, despite Autry’s defense attorney requesting probation. Judge Gorham also ordered Autry to stay away from New Hanover County hotels or motels after his release.

Officials say the sales took place on September 16th and 17th last year at the Ramada Inn on Market Street. When members of the Wilmington Police Department Vice and Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant on the 17th, they found needles, that witnesses said were used by Autry’s customers.  Witnesses also told officials that he had also sold heroin at the Baymont Inn, but that he flushed narcotics before police were able to search the hotel.

When he was arrested, Autry told police he was a gang member from Florida and that he did not respect Wilmington gangs because they were not “real”. He told officials his job in Florida was robbing drug dealers. Autry had previously been charged with common law robbery in Tampa, Florida.