Roanoke Man Arrested on Federal Drug Distribution Charge

ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man, whom law enforcement accuses of distributing methamphetamine and heroin in Roanoke City, was arrested May 14, 2020, and has been charged via federal criminal complaint with drug distribution.  United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, David W. Archey announced the arrest today. The investigation is being handled by the member agencies of the Roanoke Area High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force [HIDTA], as well as by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Tyshea Anthony Cunningham, 20, is currently charged with one count of manufacturing, distributing, dispensing, or possessing with the intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance.

According to court documents, investigators with HIDTA have identified multiple occasions in which Cunningham sold heroin or methamphetamine.

The investigation of this case is ongoing and being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the City of Roanoke Police Department, and the members of the region’s High Intensity Drug Task Force (HIDTA) program.  Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford is prosecuting the case for the United States.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, various stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

A criminal complaint is only a charge and not evidence of guilt.  All defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty.