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Two men were sentenced this week to prison in connection with a cocaine trafficking ring that has put four men behind bars, the federal government says.
One of the two sentenced Wednesday in federal court, Madrid Flores, 28, of Mexico, received the longest prison term of any of the defendants -- almost 12 1/2 years.
Also sentenced this week was 37-year-old David Kennedy of Charlotte, who received a 2 1/2-year prison term.
Federal prosecutors say Flores was convicted by a jury after a three-day trial last May. Prosecutors said police had seized 2 kilograms -- about 4 1/2 pounds -- of cocaine from a vehicle in which a drug transaction had taken place. Flores expected to receive $70,000 for the drugs, according to prosecutors.
Investigators also said during the trial that one of Flores’ two cell phones had been used to coordinate drug trafficking with others in the ring. Prosecutors said that phone was subscribed under the name “Tony Montana,” a character from the movie “Scarface.”
Investigators say the four men had distributed about 26 kilograms -- or 57 pounds -- of cocaine.
Kennedy entered a guilty plea last April to one charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Sentenced earlier were the two other men implicated in the ring -- Robert Shanley and Joshua Poulin. Shanley, 34, of Charlotte, was sentenced last summer to 4 years and 9 months in prison. Poulin, 34, of Clover, S.C., was sentenced to about 11 years in prison.
Federal prosecutors said the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, Mint Hill police, SBI and Drug Enforcement Administration teamed to investigate the case.
