Smyrna Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution and Firearms Offenses
A Smyrna man has pleaded guilty to cocaine distribution and weapons offenses and that plea was accepted by Chief US District Judge Colm Connolly.
Court documents show 43 year old Roger Bleen of Smyrna sold about 273 grams of cocaine outside a Kent County convenience store on October 14 of 2025. The sale was part of a months-long pattern of trafficking by Bleen who operated within a larger cocaine‐ and fentanyl-trafficking organization orchestrated in part by associate Nugi Nichols, who pleaded guilty to cocaine distribution on June 1, 2026.
A search warrant executed at Bleen’s residence turned up a 9mm handgun. Bleen is a previously convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms.
Bleen pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine and possession of a firearm and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the drug charge and 15 years in prison on the firearm charge.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 21st.
Additional information from the USADE:
“Drug traffickers who arm themselves compound the danger they pose to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace. “Bleen sold cocaine over many months as part of a broader drug-trafficking network. Today’s plea—made possible through the teamwork of the DEA, FBI, and the Dover Police Department—reflects our commitment to stop the flow of drugs into Delaware and to hold felons accountable when they choose to possess guns.”
“This investigation removed an armed drug trafficker from our community,” said DEA Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Timothy S. Flaherty. “The threat posed by these organizations has never been higher, but law enforcement at every level is rising to meet it. Today’s plea is another example of the exceptional partnerships between the DEA, FBI, Dover Police Department, and United States Attorney’s Office.”
“Roger Bleen profited from selling cocaine in our community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul. “Today’s guilty plea reflects the seriousness of Bleen’s crimes and the harm his drug trafficking inflicted on Delaware. The FBI works diligently with our law enforcement partners to make our communities safer by dismantling drug trafficking organizations and holding all those involved accountable.”
“Bleen, Nichols, and every other predator trafficking drugs into our communities are a direct threat to our families, our visitors, and our most vulnerable residents,” said Dover Police Department Chief Thomas A. Johnson, Jr. “They profit from addiction and misery without regard for the lives they destroy. The Dover Police Department and their great investigators will continue working alongside our state and federal partners to identify, investigate, and bring these offenders to justice.
We celebrate the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this case and hope that anyone else thinking about delivering poison to Dover, thinks twice, as we will never tolerate the lethal combination of guns and drugs in our city.”
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 December 21, 2026.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Dover Police Department investigated the case.