Defendant Convicted Of Drug And Attempted Witness Retaliation Charges
WILMINGTON, Del. - Charles M. Oberly, III, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that a federal jury after less than four hours of deliberation over lunch found defendant William Boney guilty on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) (b)(1)(A), and 846; attempted murder by retaliating against an informant, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1513(a)(1)(B); and soliciting another person to retaliate against an informant by committing murder, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1513(a)(1)(B) and 373. The jury returned its verdict yesterday after a one-week trial. -
According to the evidence presented at trial, on November 7, 2010, Boney attempted to broker a seven-kilogram cocaine deal worth approximately $217,000 at his residence in Delaware. Before the cocaine deal could be completed, however, Drug Enforcement (DEA) agents intervened after using a confidential informant to infiltrate the cocaine deal. Boney, along with four other individuals, was arrested, and the DEA seized nearly five kilograms of cocaine. Following his arrest, Boney was released to cooperate with the DEA in ongoing drug investigations.
While released, Boney discovered the identity of the confidential informant who assisted the DEA with the investigation of the November 7, 2010 drug deal. Boney then began to plot this person’s murder. DEA agents, however, uncovered Boney’s plot and inserted a second confidential informant into the Defendant’s scheme to portray the role of a “hit man.” Boney met with the purported “hit man” three times between May 22, 2011 and July 3, 2011. During these meetings, Boney discussed killing the confidential informant. If the informant was not present when the “hit man” entered the informant’s home, Boney requested the “hit man” kill the informant’s young child. Boney also provided critical information to the purported “hit man” to carry out this act. Boney further showed the “hit man” where various individuals lived who he believed possessed large amounts of cash or drugs so that the “hit man” could conduct home invasion robberies of these residences to collect the cash or drugs as payment for the murder of the confidential informant.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled by the District Court. At sentencing, Boney faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment, and up to life in prison for the drug conspiracy offense. He also faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for attempted murder by retaliating against an informant; and a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for soliciting another person to retaliate against an informant by committing murder.
United States Attorney Oberly congratulated the DEA investigators and the prosecution team on a well-earned conviction of a defendant whose ruthlessness included soliciting a hit man to kill the informant and/or his baby. He stated: “The protection of witnesses and other innocents is of paramount concern and threats, intimidation or other actions against witnesses and others will always be fully investigated and prosecuted fully.”
Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge David G. Dongilli said, “DEA will not tolerate threats against any person that has provided assistance or cooperated with DEA. I wish to extend my thanks to all of the law enforcement agencies that participated in this investigation, including the Delaware State Police, Delaware Department of Probation and Parole, Wilmington Police Department, Newark Police Department, and the New Castle County Police Department. I also want to extend my appreciation to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware for their dedication, cooperation, professionalism, and support in the investigation and prosecution of this case.”
