Father and son cocaine traffickers sentenced to life in prison

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Silas Mobley, Jr., 56, and his son and co-defendant, Marvin Suntate Mobley, 32, both of York, S.C., were sentenced today in Charlotte to life in federal prison for cocaine trafficking-related offenses.

The sentences follow an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

A third defendant, Jeremy Lynnel Williams, 37, of Charlotte, entered a plea of guilty to related charges on May 25, 2010 and was previously sentenced to 121 months in prison.

On Aug. 9, 2010, a federal jury found Silas and Marvin Mobley guilty of conspiring to distribute, and of possession with intent to distribute, at least five kilograms of cocaine from 2004 to October 2009, and for attempting to possess at least one-half kilogram of cocaine on June 1, 2009.

According to evidence presented at trial, the defendants were connected to a seizure of 13 kilograms of cocaine on May 28, 2009. Also based on trial evidence, on June 1, 2009, a K-9 officer stopped the defendants and found them to be in possession of $30,540 after the defendants had tried to make arrangements to purchase one kilogram of cocaine. The money was seized and is now subject to forfeiture.

The defendants' sentences were enhanced because of their prior felony drug convictions. Both defendants have been in local federal custody in the Western District of North Carolina since they were arrested in December 2009.

Upon designation of a federal facility, each will be transferred into custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.

The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven R. Kaufman of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte.