RALEIGH, N.C. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - North Carolina, Eastern), published as received.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced today to 151 months in prison for one-count of Distribution of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base (Crack).

According to court documents, Kencheul Jacques, 37, pled guilty to the charge on July 30, 2020. 

On June 14, 2017, an officer with the Raleigh Police Department (RPD), was conducting an ongoing drug investigation into street-level drug sales in the Bragg Street area.  On the same day, the officer utilized a confidential informant (CI) to make a controlled purchase of crack cocaine from Jacques.

The CI walked to Bragg Street and saw several males near a convenience store.  When the CI asked if anyone had anything, Jacques asked the CI what he/she wanted.  The CI advised that he/she wanted $40 worth of crack cocaine. 

Jacques then told the CI to follow him into the store, where Jacques produced a plastic bag and removed two crack cocaine rocks. Jacques handed the CI the crack cocaine in exchange for $40.  Laboratory analysis confirmed that the substance was crack cocaine.

On July 3, 2019, Raleigh Police Department officers were again conducting surveillance of the Bragg Street area. They saw a man approach Jacques, who placed something behind a fire hydrant and then handed something to the man.

The officers stopped the man and found a small amount of crack cocaine in his wallet. Behind the fire hydrant, officers found a bag containing 10.17 grams of crack cocaine.

Jacques was determined to be a Career Offender based on his record of twelve prior convictions, including convictions for Selling Cocaine, Delivering Cocaine, and Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver Cocaine.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott A. Lemmon prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00363-D.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.