WILMINGTON — A family tradition came to an end this week in New Hanover County Superior Court as a mother and son drug trafficking team pleaded guilty and were sentenced to a maximum of ten years each.
On Monday, Feb. 18, Wilmington residents Atiff Llyod and his mother, Earlene Lloyd, both pleaded guilty to trafficking-related crimes. Atiff, 27, pleaded guilty to trafficking in opium or heroin and was sentenced by Judge Kent Harrell to 90 to 120 months in prison and a $100,000 fine; Earlene, 54, pleaded guilty to attempted trafficking and was sentenced by Judge John Nobles to 96 to 128 months.
The convictions come roughly a year and a half after Vice and Narcotics Unit detectives with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office arranged for an informant to purchase heroin from the North Fifth Avenue house where the Llyods lived; after two purchases, on August 1 and August 2, detectives executed a search warrant on the residence at 416 North Fifth Avenue on August 3.
According to the District Attorney’s office, “During the execution of the search warrant, detectives recovered a trafficking amount of heroin, two pistols, one rifle, an extended pistol magazine, multiple wax bags used to package heroin, digital scales, marijuana, and various other drug paraphernalia.”
Assistant District Attorney William Van Trigt said, “I would like to thank the men and women of law enforcement for their hard work. Their efforts prevented this poison from being distributed into our community. We will continue to focus our time and efforts on the prosecution of those individuals in our community that are peddling poison for profit.”
