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NORFOLK, Va. – A Suffolk man who led a violent drug trafficking organization in the Hampton Roads area was sentenced today to 35 years in prison, marking the final sentencing in a sweeping federal case.

Donte Demille Hampton, aka Messiah, 38, was the leader of a large-scale drug trafficking operation (DTO) affiliated with the Gangster Disciples gang, according to court documents. Hampton and his co-conspirators—Mandi Marie Green, 42, of Norfolk, and Antonio Romya Beale, 49, of Norfolk—distributed significant quantities of methamphetamine and marijuana while also stockpiling firearms at a Norfolk residence.

A June 10, 2021, search of the residence uncovered 514 grams of meth, 16.7 pounds of marijuana, THC edibles, four firearms, $5,553 in drug proceeds, and materials used to package and distribute the drugs.

Hampton enforced control over his operation through violence, directing members to assault rivals and even his own employees who stole from him. One incident involved DTO members filming themselves pistol-whipping and beating an employee who failed to pay for meth.

Several of Hampton’s co-defendants, including Green and Beale, previously pleaded guilty and received prison sentences ranging from eight years to 30 years. Hampton pleaded guilty on Oct. 17, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case in collaboration with federal and local law enforcement agencies as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation.