Two Halifax County residents were among the 13 people sentenced in a widespread narcotics ring that involved violent home invasions, the United States Justice Department said in a press release.
Both Natalie Baker Lynch, 33, of the Roanoke Rapids and Hollister areas, and Robert Mack Richardson, 33, of the Enfield and Nash County areas, were known to local law enforcement, according to Captain Anzell Harris of the City County Drug Task Force.
Their dealings in Halifax County centered around drug operations. Halifax County law enforcement assisted in the investigations of these cases.
According to the news release, United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker said the 13 were:
Tavaris Delino Battle, 30, of Elm City
Tony Marichal Sharp, 31, of Sharpsburg
Byron Dale Whitaker, 23, of Sharpsburg
Gregory Devonte Robertson, 20, of Rocky Mount
Natalie Lynch
Tremayne A. Lynch, 35, of Rocky Mount
Tangi Sonyette Williams, 37, of Rocky Mount
Robert Mack Richardson
Mathew Lee Leak, 32, of Sharpsburg
Andrew Leonard Leak, 30, of Rocky Mount
Jerold Jerald Mason, 30, of Sharpsburg
Shameka Johnese Winn, 28, of Wilson
Roy Latron Richardson, 23, of Nashville
They were each sentenced from their earlier guilty pleas to distributing large quantities of cocaine and cocaine base, Walker said.
The charges involved a large scale narcotics ring responsible for selling kilos of crack from around May 2011 to on or about July 16, 2013 in the Sharpsburg area.
“This case is another example of ATF’s commitment to ensure the public’s safety by removing drug traffickers and violent individuals from our communities. These results could not have occurred without the outstanding partnerships that we have with our law enforcement partners,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Wayne L. Dixie Jr.
All 13 defendants were sentenced by Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III.
Battle was sentenced to life imprisonment
Sharp was sentenced to 480 months imprisonment
Whitaker was sentenced to 480 months imprisonment
Robertson was sentenced to 262 months imprisonment
Natalie Lynch was sentenced to 132 months imprisonment
Tremayne Lynch was sentenced to 450 months imprisonment
Williams was sentenced to 90 months imprisonment
Robert M. Richardson was sentenced to 75 months imprisonment
Matthew Leak was sentenced to 156 months imprisonment
Andrew Leak was sentenced to 132 months imprisonment
Mason was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment
Winn was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment
Roy Richardson was sentenced to 102 months imprisonment.
According to the investigation, Battle was the leader of this narcotics distribution organization.
Sharp helped plan a brutal home invasion and was instrumental in the group selling kilos of crack cocaine.
During the violent home invasion Whitaker and Tremayne Lynch were searching for drugs and money that resulted in a brutal rape of young mother while her small child watched.
Tremayne Lynch also shot the mother’s boyfriend, the father of the child, during the home invasion twice.
Robertson participated in the home invasion by beating the already shot and bound boyfriend.
In addition to the home invasion, Tremayne Lynch was involved with three other exceedingly violent incidents.
In two of them he walked up and started shooting at competitors and in the third he kidnapped someone who owed the group money and held him hostage for a couple of days, repeatedly strangling the victim into unconsciousness, tying him to a tree and shooting a gun in front of him, beating him, and threatening to have Whitaker burn his groin with heated keys.
Williams drove the home invasion crew to the victim's house knowing they were going in armed and with masks to commit robbery.
After the robbery, she drove the group to a hotel room and located someone to sell Tremayne Lynch a gun.
She also drove Tremayne Lynch to Washington, D.C., to avoid arrest.