El Paso Standard

A Pennsylvania man has been found guilty of conspiring to distribute cocaine following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Marvin Murphy, 48, from Philadelphia, was convicted on March 18 after a two-day bench trial at the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in Camden. Following the verdict, Murphy was taken into custody.

Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations Newark, commented on the case: “Murphy and his co-conspirators had ill intentions of pedaling poison into American communities from coast to coast.” He added that their plan to traffic at least ten kilograms of cocaine into New Jersey was thwarted thanks to partnerships with HSI San Diego and Mount Laurel Police.

The investigation revealed that between June 2021 and July 13, 2021, Murphy conspired with Carl Lee Holloway, Lavinston Lamar, and others to distribute cocaine. On June 23, 2021, Holloway traveled to San Diego to meet with an undercover agent posing as a drug dealer. They discussed arranging a drug deal in New Jersey where the undercover agent would deliver at least ten kilograms of cocaine for Holloway and his associates. During this meeting, Holloway contacted Murphy to discuss details about the drug deal over subsequent weeks.

On July 13, 2021, Holloway, Murphy, and Lamar arrived separately at a hotel in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Each carried bags containing U.S. currency totaling over $340,000 collectively. They met with undercover agents inside a hotel room where they briefly inspected one kilogram of cocaine brought by the agents before being arrested.

Holloway had previously pleaded guilty to his involvement in the conspiracy and was sentenced to 120 months in prison. Lamar also pleaded guilty and received a sentence initially set at 114 months but later reduced to 100 months due to violations of conditions related to a prior conviction for conspiring to distribute cocaine.