Man convicted of trafficking heroin into Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A New Jersey man pleaded guilty to trafficking drugs into the Cape Fear.

Musa Halley, 31, was charged with trafficking heroin, conspiracy to traffic heroin, and felony flee to elude arrest.

Judge L. Lamont Wiggins sentenced Halley Monday to at least seven and half years in prison and to pay a $100,000 fine.

On the morning of October 31, 2016, Halley picked up Courtney Allen in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart on Sigmon Road. Allen had just arrived in Wilmington on a bus from Newark, New Jersey and was seen carrying a suspicious bag.

When Vice and Narcotics Detectives from the Wilmington Police Department attempted to pull over Halley and Allen to investigate, Halley drove away and lead officers on a lengthy chase through midtown Wilmington. Allen and Halley were finally arrested at the corner of Independence Boulevard and Wrightsville Avenue, but the suspicious bag Allen was seen with was not found inside of the vehicle. Officers say they later found that the bag had been thrown out of their vehicle at the 200 block of Henry Street.

Inside the bag, officers found 7,886 bindles of heroin. Allen later admitted to law enforcement that she brought the bag down at Halley’s request.

Halley has several prior convictions for drug distribution in New Jersey.