RICHMOND, Va. – Sylvester R. Booker, 55, of Richmond, was sentenced today to 27 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
Booker pleaded guilty on May 5. According to court documents, Booker was the leader of a large-scale drug trafficking organization, which was responsible for distributing dozens of kilograms of heroin from 2012 through 2015. Booker used various members of his organization to transport up to 30 kilograms of heroin from Brooklyn for distribution in the Richmond area. As part of the DEA investigation in November and December 2015, law enforcement obtained a court-ordered wiretap on Booker’s cellphone. The DEA intercepted numerous calls that implicated Booker and others in the heroin conspiracy. Federal and state law enforcement conducted surveillance of Booker’s various residences and corroborated his involvement in the conspiracy to distribute large amounts of heroin. Booker was previously convicted for essentially the same crime in 1999 in federal court and much of this conspiracy took place while Booker was on supervised release for his previous conviction.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer.
This case was investigated by the DEA, with assistance from the Henrico County Police Division, Richmond Police Department, Chesterfield County Police Department and the Virginia State Police, as part of the DEA Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Duffey is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:16-cr-23.