Taurus McDaniel, a 43-year-old Lynchburg resident with a previous second-degree murder conviction, has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for his involvement in a major drug distribution operation. McDaniel’s crimes included conspiring to distribute large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine in the greater Lynchburg area while in possession of firearms.
McDaniel pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute methamphetamine, possession with the intent to distribute and distribute methamphetamine, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
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His co-defendant, Quentin Randolph, was previously sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for his role in the conspiracy.
Court documents reveal that between October 2022 and June 2023, McDaniel, Randolph, and others collaborated to distribute methamphetamine throughout the Lynchburg metropolitan area. The Lynchburg Police Department utilized confidential informants to make numerous controlled purchases of methamphetamine from McDaniel and Randolph at McDaniel’s residence on Bright Star Court.
A search warrant executed at McDaniel’s residence on June 2, 2023, led to the discovery of 356 grams of cocaine, a loaded .38 caliber revolver, a digital scale, a loaded 9mm pistol with a laser sight and an extended magazine, and 236 grams of methamphetamine.
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The investigation and subsequent conviction of McDaniel were part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which focuses on dismantling high-level drug trafficking organizations and criminal networks through a coordinated multi-agency approach.
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