South Tidewater News

A Lynchburg, Virginia man who distributed large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine throughout the greater Lynchburg area while possessing a firearm and had previously been convicted in state court of second-degree murder was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison.

Taurus McDaniel, 43, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute methamphetamine, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In addition, McDaniel was convicted in 2007 of murder in the second degree in the Circuit Court for Sussex County.

Quentin Randolph, a co-defendant in the matter, was previously sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for his role in the conspiracy.

According to court documents, between October 2022 and June 2023, McDaniel, Randolph, and others conspired to distribute methamphetamine in the greater Lynchburg metropolitan area. The Lynchburg Police Department developed several confidential informants (CIs) and made numerous controlled purchases of methamphetamine from McDaniel and Randolph at McDaniel’s residence at 100 Bright Star Court in Lynchburg.

On June 2, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at McDaniel’s residence and discovered 356 grams of cocaine, a loaded Colt .38 caliber revolver, a digital scale, a loaded 9 mm pistol with a laser sight and an extended magazine, and 236 grams of methamphetamine.

United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh; Jared Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Washington Division; James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Ryan M. Zuidema, Chief of the Lynchburg Police Department made the announcement.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives (ATF), and City of Lynchburg Police Department investigated the case.

The investigation and conviction of Taurus McDaniel is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies disrupts dismantles highest-level drug traffickers money launderers gangs transnational criminal organizations that threaten United States by using prosecutor-led intelligence-driven multi-agency approach that leverages strengths federal state local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Welsh prosecuted the case.