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Men sold cocaine outside Charlotte rec center, affidavit says

By Blake Hanson
By Blake Hanson

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Federal agents were watching as two men on a bench handed off a trash bag packed with 3 kilos of cocaine outside a rec center last week in the middle of the day, according to an affidavit filed in federal court.

Prosecutors charged George Davis and Kevin Alexander McDonald with drug conspiracy. Another man, Antonio Carmona, is charged in a separately filed case after federal agents accused him of being the duo's supplier.

A Drug Enforcement Administration special agent said the agency got a tip from a confidential source that Davis and McDonald would meet at the Albemarle Road Recreation Center to sell cocaine last Wednesday. Agents said they watched the men sitting on the bench around 1:30 p.m.

Another man showed up 15 minutes later. Agents said McDonald walked with the man to a car, retrieved a trash bag from the back seat and handed it to the man. Shortly afterward, agents arrested all three. Eyewitness News is not naming the third man because prosecutors have not announced any charges against him.

Staff at the rec center were unaware of the arrests, according to a county spokesperson.

Shashonda Phillips, a teacher at Charlotte Camp Elite, said her camp and another camp would have been inside at the time.

"For something like this to happen in the middle of a busy business day, that shows no care for anyone," Phillips said.

Phillips said there likely would have been more than 50 children inside the rec center. However, she said others who are not enrolled in a camp often hang around outside.

"Kudos to law enforcement for handling it very (smoothly)," Phillips said. "I'm just glad no one had any weapons or anything like that."

Investigators discover 'stash house'

Agents said the investigation into Davis and McDonald led to the identification of Carmona as a supplier of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine.

Agents believed that he lived at a home on Robanna Court in west Mecklenburg County and raided the home late Thursday. Neighbors who asked not to be identified said they saw a stream of unmarked cars coming down the street with their lights off. Men and women with guns got out and began looking through the home.

Investigators found powdered cocaine, a digital scale, a heat sealer, packaging material and a large amount of U.S. currency, according to an affidavit filed with the complaint.

Agents believe that it was a "stash house" because it was barely decorated and had only one mattress on the floor of one of the four bedrooms.

Investigators said an unnamed drug courier who worked with all three suspects admitted to picking up drugs on at least five occasions dating back to January 2016 and as recently as Aug. 9.

Suspects in court Tuesday

Davis and McDonald are scheduled to appear Tuesday morning for a detention hearing. A federal judge will decide whether they are a flight risk and/or a danger to the community. If not, they could be released pending a trial. Carmona is scheduled to have a detention hearing on Wednesday.

R. Brent Walker, who represents Davis, and Jim Weidner, who represents McDonald, declined comment.

An attorney for Carmona did not immediately respond.

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