Several arrested on drug and money laundering charges

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Seven people are behind bars and another person is still being sought in a federal drug trafficking and money laundering investigation in Columbus County.

The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of NC made the announcement this morning. Several people are accused of selling drugs near Tabor City.

Several people were charged by way of Criminal Indictment:

• Justin Lee Myers, a/k/a “Longbird”, 33 of Myrtle Beach, SC
• Cortney Lemar Phillips, a/k/a “C-Note”, 30 of Loris, SC
• William Cedric Gore, a/k/a “Do Dah”, 35 Tabor City, NC
• Bobby Jermaine Kinlaw, a/k/a “Bah Bah”, 28 of Tabor City, NC
• Craig Eugene Ritter, 28 of Tabor City, NC
• Darriel Scott, 53 of Tabor City, NC
• Jennifer Colorado Wells, 38 of Loris, SC
• Teeya Reeves Scheer, 42 of Whiteville, NC

Myers, Phillips, Gore, Kinlaw, Ritter, Scott, and Wells  were charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base, cocaine, heroin, a fentanyl, and marijuana.  Additionally, Myers and Scheer are charged with five-counts of money laundering.

Cortney Phillips is being sought by law enforcement to be placed under arrest.

The seven arrested so far were taken into custody this morning in Columbus County and in Raleigh.

The investigation is being conducted by the FBI Coastal Carolina Criminal Enterprise Task Force which includes the FBI’s Wilmington Resident Agency, the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the Wilmington Police Department, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations.

FBI Myrtle Beach Resident Agency, U.S. Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration,  and the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office also helped with the case.