Russell Javon Linney, a 34-year-old resident of Statesville, North Carolina, has been sentenced to 135 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for methamphetamine trafficking. This announcement was made by Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
The investigation into Linney's activities began in January 2023, led by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division. According to court documents and proceedings, undercover ATF agents conducted multiple purchases of methamphetamine from Linney. One significant transaction involved Linney selling nearly a pound of methamphetamine to an undercover agent in South Carolina while he was on federal supervised release for a prior firearms conviction.
Linney pleaded guilty to the distribution charge on August 8, 2024. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to a designated federal facility under the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
U.S. Attorney King acknowledged the role of the ATF in investigating this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William Wiseman prosecuted the case as part of his duties with the office of the 26th Prosecutorial District and his assignment as SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.