ROANOKE, Va. – Two Roanoke men have admitted to being co-conspirators in a 2020 drug trafficking crime, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Virginia.
William Preston Ramey-Woodard, 42, pleaded guilty to the following:
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- One count of conspiring to threaten bodily harm or cause bodily harm to another person to retaliate against that person for providing information to law enforcement regarding the commission of a federal offense
- One count of distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl
- One count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Meanwhile, Joseph Coquia “Kee” Martin, 42, pleaded guilty to:
- One count of attempting to murder a person who was assisting a law enforcement officer
- One count of discharging and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
In March 2020, court documents show William Preston Ramey-Woodard, 42, sold $4,000 worth of fentanyl to a confidential police informant, which was captured on video. Court officials said he was seen with a firearm in the video as well. Ramey-Woodard was arrested after two other drug-related purchases.
Court officials said that Ramey-Woodward spoke to Martin, his co-conspirator, through coded telephone calls and emails. The conversations were recorded by the jail and authorities were able to hear the duo talk about the informant’s name, workplace, home address and if “the informant should suffer consequences as a result of working with the police.”
Later, on May 11, 2020, Martin showed up at the informant’s home and shot him. The informant suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Officials said Ramey-Woodard claimed he wanted the informant to suffer a threat or physical assault but “did not plan, intend or anticipate” that Martin would shoot that person.
The duo now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison with a maximum penalty of life in prison.
A federal judge will sentence them at a later date.