CHRISTIANSTED – Two St. Croix men were handed relatively light sentences of two years and one year in prison by a visiting federal judge after being convicted of charges related to dealing crack cocaine here.
Nolly King, 36 of St. Croix, was sentenced Thursday for distribution of crack cocaine, and Thaddeus Hendricks, 39, was sentenced for distribution of cocaine, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert said.
According to court documents, each man was an associate of “drug kingpin” Robert Klyvert who is pending sentencing in federal court.
Visiting U.S. District Court Judge Anne E. Thompson sentenced King to 24 months and two years of supervised release.
Judge Thompson also ordered him to pay a fine of $500 and a $100 special assessment. Hendricks was sentenced to 12 months and one day and two years of supervised release.
Judge Thompson also ordered him to pay a fine of $500 and a $100 special assessment. On January 29, 2019, King pleaded guilty to distribution of crack cocaine.
According to the plea agreement filed in court, on December 31, 2016, a CS made arrangements with King to pick up crack cocaine in Orlando, Florida that King was holding for Robert Klyvert aka “Family.”
Klyvert was subsequently charged, has entered a guilty plea, and is pending sentencing in federal court.
At approximately 9:45 a.m., the CS called King and informed King that the CS was ready. King instructed the CS to wait 20 to 25 minutes. At approximately 10:00 a.m., King called the CS and told him to come to his house.
When the CS pulled up, King exited the residence, greeted the CS and engaged in conversation. After a few minutes, King re-entered the house and came back holding a white plastic bag containing crack cocaine. The CS asked King what was wrong with the crack cocaine.
King stated that people did not like the color and showed the CS a sample. The CS took the crack February cocaine and left the scene. Subsequent lab tests confirmed that the substance that the CS obtained from King was indeed crack cocaine and cocaine powder, and the net weight was 884.18 grams.
On January 29, 2019, Hendricks pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine. According to the plea agreement filed in federal court, on January 15, 2017, Hendricks travelled by plane from St. Croix to St. Thomas, carrying a black backpack, which contained cocaine intended for Robert Klyvert, aka “Family.”
Hendricks asked the CS to take him to the Palms Court Hotel so that Hendricks could get a room while he waited for his flight back to St. Croix.
While at the hotel, the CS gave Hendricks $22,000 and told him it was for the cocaine Hendricks had picked up in Orlando. Hendricks removed the cocaine from of the backpack and placed it on the floor of the front passenger seat where he was sitting.
The CS inspected the cocaine and the Hendricks entered the hotel. Later that day, Hendricks arrived at the Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix and got into a car driven by Robert Klyvert. Subsequent lab tests confirmed that the backpack Hendricks showed to the CS contained cocaine with a net weight of 971.8 grams.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rhonda Williams-Henry and Melissa Ortiz.