Montgomery man convicted of federal drug conspiracy

A federal judge has convicted a Montgomery man of drug conspiracy.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson said 45-year-old Vanshun Traywick was sentenced yesterday in Montgomery.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, law enforcement in 2020 launched an investigation into an alleged drug trafficking operation involving cocaine being smuggled from Texas to Montgomery.

The investigation revealed that Traywick ordered kilograms of cocaine from a co-conspirator, 45-year-old Michael Golden of Houston, Texas. The cocaine was to be delivered to Montgomery by another co-conspirator, 56-year-old Rufus Flanagan, also of Houston.

On October 20, 2020, Montgomery police conducted a traffic stop on a semi-trailer truck driven by Flanagan. While searching the vehicle, officers found a bag containing approximately one kilogram of cocaine.

The investigation revealed not only that Traywick arranged the purchase of large quantities of cocaine from Golden, but also that on October 13, 2020, he purchased two ounces of cocaine from another co-conspirator, 51-year-old Deneco Nettles, also of Montgomery.

The jury found Traywick guilty on two counts of conspiracy to traffic cocaine.

If convicted, Traywick faces between 5 and 40 years in a federal prison.

Earlier this year, Golden, Flanagan and Nettles all pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges. On June 18, 2024, Nettles was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Golden's sentencing is scheduled for December 3. Flanagan's sentencing is scheduled for December 5.

No sentencing date has yet been set for Traywick.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Montgomery Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark E. Andreu, Justin L. Jones, and B. Chelsea Wilson are prosecuting the case.

— Information from the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama