A federal jury convicted a New Castle County resident yesterday on charges of possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Damion Thomas, 26, attempted to sell marijuana to an undercover police officer on July 2, 2024. Inside Thomas’s car, officers found pre-packaged cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana. Officers later searched a bedroom at a residence associated with Thomas and found more cocaine, marijuana, and drug packaging materials. Officers also located a safe inside that bedroom. The safe contained over 180 grams of cocaine, almost 150 individual packages of fentanyl, a bulk supply of marijuana, drug packaging materials, cash, and a loaded revolver. Thomas was prohibited from possessing a firearm due, in part, to a 2018 conviction for attempted first-degree robbery.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace stated, “Today’s conviction sends a clear message that those who flood our communities with dangerous drugs—and especially those who do so while armed—will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. I am grateful to our dedicated state and federal law enforcement partners whose tireless work made this just prosecution possible.”
Thomas faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison for possessing the revolver in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and could be sentenced to a maximum of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for September 18, 2026, at 10:00 am.
The New Castle County Police Department, the Delaware Bureau of Community Corrections, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Delaware Division of Forensic Science. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Thurstlic-O’Neill and Corey J. Hauser prosecuted the case.
