By Dave Faherty
CHARLOTTE, N.C. —
An accused Charlotte drug kingpin is locked up and Channel 9 is uncovering a massive investigation spanning the last 10 years.

Eyewitness News obtained federal records detailing an extensive pipeline of cocaine funneling into Charlotte from across the world.

Federal agents said an undocumented immigrant was at the top of the crime ring using drug money to buy a fleet of exotic cars and a big house.

They said he set up businesses across the city and used them to grow his criminal empire.

Federal agents and police raided those businesses Wednesday.

According to these court documents the owner was trying to get thirty kilos of cocaine to Charlotte from south Florida.

The businesses include a barbershop, a towing company and The Rim Shop on Independence Boulevard where a witness took cellphone video as police began seizing a dozen cars and SUVs.

"It was shocking,” the witness said. “It was shocking. “I mean first thing in the morning to come in and open up and see all of these officers next door. First thing that came to my mind is what happened?"

The owner of the business Loris Gemon "conspired to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and launder proceeds of the drug trafficking,” according to a 23-page criminal complaint filed by a special agent with the Department of Homeland Security,
He received cocaine from Miami and the southwest border area of Texas and was supplying it to people in Charlotte, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, according to the document.

Gemon boasted to an undercover federal agent "that he had been trafficking drugs for 24 years and that he had never been caught because he wasn't greedy."

Gemon said he owned 27 vehicles and a list of places included a gated home in Weddington where Gemon's girlfriend lived.

Kelly Garrett, a witness, showed Channel 9 where she saw federal agents Wednesday at J & M Towing and Transport which, according to the court documents, was also owned by Gemon.
"It kind of freaked me out a bit because I wasn't sure what was going on but it seemed like something big,” she said.

The car wash documents showed Gemon owned was closed Wednesday but workers said Thursday when they arrived, the phone was gone and it appeared someone had gone through the office.

The court records showed Gemon spent hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of drug money to outfit his businesses.

It said he bought $7,500 chairs at the barber shop, multiple TVs and expensive furniture.
Court records also showed he paid rent in cocaine.

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