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Washington, DC resident Linwood Douglas Thorne, 51, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in a massive drug trafficking conspiracy that resulted in one of the largest seizures of heroin in the District of Columbia’s history.
In 2018, the FBI’s Safe Street Task force launched an investigation into Thorne, who was known to be a major heroin supplier. In December that year, members of the FBI and ATF executed simultaneous search warrant’s on Thorne’s Maryland home and his DC business, where they seized:
- 44 kilograms of heroin laced with fentanyl;
- 55 pounds of marijuana;
- Five firearms;
- “Significant” drug paraphernalia.
Previously, federal investigators recovered:
- Eight additional firearms;
- 1.5 kilograms of marijuana;
- 260 grams of heroin;
- Several firearms magazine and accessories.
Officials noted that during his trial, the government presented more than a dozen law enforcement witnesses, along with digital and business records that established and corroborated his role in the large-scale drug ring.
“This joint investigation, which resulted in one of the largest seizures of heroin in our city's history, is a testament to the strength of our federal and local partnerships,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs stated. “Let (Thorne’s) sentence serve as a reminder of the consequences traffickers face for putting people's lives in danger.”
In March last year, Thorne was found guilty at trial of:
- Conspiracy;
- Possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl;
- Possession with intent to distribute marijuana;
- A firearms charge.
"This sentence should send a clear message to all those who would even consider operating a large-scale drug network: doing so will result in you possibly spending the rest of your life in jail,” US Attorney Matthew Graves said.
“We have zero tolerance for those looking to poison our communities with massive amounts of drugs—particularly when the drug trafficking involves firearms.”
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