NORFOLK, Va. – Eleven Virginia residents have been sentenced for their roles in a violent drug trafficking ring based in the Hampton Roads area, with a twelfth defendant awaiting sentencing. The organization, led by 36-year-old Cortney Allen Conley of Virginia Beach, was responsible for a double homicide during an attempted robbery in Chesapeake.
Drug Operation and Deadly Violence
Between January 2020 and November 2022, Conley ran a large-scale drug operation, frequently selling at “pop-up” shops—temporary locations set up to evade law enforcement. In July 2021, after Conley was robbed at a pop-up on Providence Road, he and his crew started carrying weapons.
On May 13, 2022, two armed men attempted to rob another pop-up on Wintercress Way in Chesapeake. Conley and his associate, Rashaun Marcquez Johnson, 28, of Virginia Beach, shot and killed both intruders. During the gunfight, bullets struck a child’s play kitchen in a nearby apartment. As one of the attackers lay dying, Davian Marcelis Jenkins, 27, of Suffolk, pistol-whipped him. After the shootout, Conley and Jenkins fled the scene with drugs, money, and firearms. Conley later ordered Jenkins to remove security cameras that had recorded the shooting.
Arrest and Sentencing
Conley fled Virginia but was arrested on Nov. 8, 2022, at another pop-up in Virginia Beach. He tried to escape by jumping from a second-story window but was caught.
Following a 10-day trial, Conley was convicted on multiple charges, including continuing a criminal enterprise, drug distribution, and firearm offenses. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Sentences for Other Members of the Organization
| Name | Sentencing Date | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Javaid Akhtar Reed | Dec. 23, 2024 | 14 years, 3 months |
| Corey Melic Blackwell | July 12, 2024 | 13 years |
| Aaron Hunter | Sept. 26, 2024 | 10 years |
| Kasheim Bryant | Oct. 31, 2024 | 7 years |
| Amadeo Ilan Classen | Nov. 7, 2024 | 10 years |
| Davian Marcelis Jenkins | Nov. 7, 2024 | 4 years |
| Jeron D’Nell Cephus | July 22, 2024 | 3 years, 6 months |
| Kyron Speller | Oct. 25, 2024 | 3 years, 5 months |
| Lateya Conley | Sept. 25, 2024 | 3 years |
| Jasmine Deneen Cuffee | Oct. 31, 2024 | 1 year, 3 months |
Johnson, who participated in the double homicide, is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 21, 2025.
Impact on the Community
The case highlights the dangers of organized drug trafficking and the violence that often follows. Prosecutors say Conley’s operation brought significant harm to Hampton Roads, turning residential spaces into crime scenes. Law enforcement officials emphasize that the sentences send a strong message: drug-related violence will not go unpunished.