DC drug trafficker sentenced to 30 years for large-scale heroin operation

WASHINGTON — A known heroin supplier in D.C. will spend decades behind bars for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking operation. The operation resulted in one of the largest seizures of heroin in D.C.'s history, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.

Linwood Douglas Thorne, 51, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 30 years in prison by Judge Beryl A. Howell on March 31. A jury found Thorne guilty of conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute charges and a firearms charge. 

“This sentence should send a clear message to all those who would even consider operating a large-scale drug network: doing so will result in you possibly spending the rest of your life in jail,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves in a press statement. “We have zero tolerance for those looking to poison our communities with massive amounts of drugs—particularly when the drug trafficking involves firearms.”

In 2018, the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force began investigating Thorne, as a major heroin supplier. On Dec. 19, 2018, the FBI and ATF executed simultaneous search warrants on Thorne’s Maryland business and D.C. residence, finding 44 kilograms of heroin laced with fentanyl; 55 pounds of marijuana; five firearms; and significant drug paraphernalia. In addition to the search warrants, the task force’s investigation—which began in July of 2018—has led to the recovery of eight additional firearms, approximately 1.5 additional kilograms of marijuana, 260 additional grams of heroin, and several firearms magazines and accessories.

“This joint investigation, which resulted in one of the largest seizures of heroin in our city's history, is a testament to the strength of our federal and local partnerships,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs. “The Washington Field Office's Safe Streets Task Force remains committed to pursuing criminals who traffic in drugs and guns. Let the defendant's sentence serve as a reminder of the consequences traffickers face for putting people's lives in danger.”