Cocaine ring nets another city man

HARRISONBURG — A local man has been sentenced to more than three years in prison after participating in a citywide cocaine ring.

David Allen Shifflett, 53, of Winchester, pleaded guilty last year to five counts of maintaining drug distribution premises.

On Wednesday, Shifflett received three and a half years in prison and three years of supervised probation upon release, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Harrisonburg.

He was also fined $100.

Six other Winchester residents have already been convicted of participating in the ring: Sycarra Chinn, 23, Nikki Williams, 39, Antonio Williams, 22, Demario Coffee, 23, Santonio Minus, 31, and Alfanco Britton were found guilty of knowingly conspiring to distribute or manufacture a mixture of crack cocaine.

City resident Kathy Wheeling, 35, pleaded guilty last year to participating in the drug ring but has yet to be sentenced.

According to a statement of facts that Wheeling, Shifflett and Chinn signed, Britton regularly obtained cocaine base and distributed it to Antonio Williams, Minus and Coffee — all of whom then repackaged and/or further distributed it to customers.

The document states that Nikki Williams — the mother of Antonio Williams and girlfriend of Britton — supervised and guided the organization. It further states that members of the conspiracy regularly sent drug proceeds by wire transfer to Florida.

During the conspiracy, Shifflett allowed Antonio Williams, Britton, Minus and Coffee to store, repackage and distribute cocaine base in and around properties he was leasing in Winchester, according to court documents.

The conspiracy was in effect, according to the statement of facts, from May 2009 to April 2012.

— Contact Rebecca Layne at rlayne@winchesterstar.com