Four people from the Tidewater area have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a drug trafficking network that distributed methamphetamine, cocaine, and other drugs across Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Two others received prison time for illegally providing firearms to a member of the trafficking ring.
The investigation revealed that Leonard Tromell Brooks, 41, of Virginia Beach, had coordinated the network beginning in fall 2021, working alongside Kyle Derek Dean, 33, and Katie Loren Harbor, 29, both from Norfolk. The group began selling significant quantities of meth throughout the Tidewater area. By early 2022, Colin Thomas Costello, 35, also of Virginia Beach, joined the conspiracy to further expand the operation.
Between March and April 2022, the group made multiple meth sales across Norfolk and Virginia Beach. On April 22, 2022, police caught Costello discarding nearly 59 grams of meth from his vehicle during a traffic stop. During the same month, authorities uncovered Brooks’ plan to receive a large meth shipment from Florida. Police intercepted the delivery and seized five kilograms of highly potent “crystal” meth, which Brooks intended to distribute through his associates.
Searches at the residences tied to Brooks, Dean, Harbor, and Costello revealed extensive evidence, including substantial amounts of meth, cocaine, fentanyl, firearms, and cash. Brooks’ home yielded 219 grams of cocaine, nearly eight ounces of marijuana, $26,388 in cash, and a .45-caliber handgun. At Dean and Harbor’s residence, investigators found meth, drug ledgers, scales, and packaging supplies. Costello’s home was particularly well-stocked, with 405 grams of meth, multiple firearms, and more fentanyl and cocaine.
Additionally, two people—Jonathan Morrell Scott, 37, and Amber Dawn Hendricks, 40—were sentenced for obtaining firearms on behalf of Costello. Scott admitted to purchasing four firearms for him and received a four-month prison sentence in December 2023. Hendricks, Costello’s girlfriend, illegally purchased four firearms, despite her drug dependency, and helped store a total of 11 firearms in their shared home. Hendricks was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in October 2024.
In January 2023, Costello, Dean, Harbor, and Brooks all pled guilty to various charges tied to the drug conspiracy. Brooks and Costello each received 20-year prison sentences, while Dean and Harbor received 18 and nine years, respectively.
The lengthy sentences highlight a strong stance from law enforcement against significant drug trafficking and illegal firearm activity in the Tidewater area, aiming to curb further distribution and maintain community safety.