A drug distributor has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for providing large amounts of methamphetamine to dealers in jurisdictions including Arlington.
Darrell Carter, of Philadelphia, was sentenced last week for possessing and conspiring to distribute meth, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced in a press release. Authorities discovered multiple kilograms of the drug in Carter’s home, along with communications suggesting that he used to purchase up to 20 pounds of meth per month for resale.
The Arlington County Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division assisted with the investigation, which was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, ACPD spokesperson Ashley Savage told ARLnow.
Carter, 35, distributed about 1,504 grams of pure meth between July and November 2025, leading to his arrest and a search of his vehicle and residences on Dec. 3, according to the press release. Authorities recovered 2,770 grams of meth, hundreds of pills containing the drug, $17,450.25, a semiautomatic handgun and a drug ledger containing customer names and prices.
More from the press release, below.
A Philadelphia man was sentenced yesterday to 11 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, during four controlled purchases from July 2025 through November 2025, Darrell Lameer Carter, 35, distributed approximately 1,504 grams of pure methamphetamine. On Dec. 3, 2025, investigators arrested Carter and searched his vehicle and two residences.
From Carter’s vehicle, investigators recovered three cellphones, a dropper vial of suspected Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL), 26 pills containing methamphetamine, and a drug ledger which contained customer names and prices. From one of Carter’s residences, in which he resided with his young child and the child’s mother, investigators recovered approximately 2,770 grams of pure methamphetamine, 619 pills containing approximately 13 grams of methamphetamine, two scales, a semi-automatic handgun, a magazine loaded with 6 rounds of ammunition, $17,450.25, an additional cellphone, and a laptop computer.
A review of Carter’s various devices revealed communications indicating that Carter purchased up to 20 pounds of methamphetamine per month for resale, as well as other controlled substances. Carter has a prior conviction for distribution of MDMA.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division investigated this case with assistance from the Arlington County Police Department, George Mason University Police Department, and Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. Assistance was provided by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Hahn prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
