Detroit man, 'Mike X,' convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, heroin

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A 43-year-old Detroit man was convicted Tuesday of conspiring to distribute cocaine and heroin in Michigan.

Allegedly, Joseph McNoriell, also known as "Mike X," worked with others on June 2, 2022 to deliver two kilograms of cocaine from southeast Michigan to Lansing, according to U.S. Attorney Mark Totten.

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He had followed a female drug courier driving a different car, and was unaware that investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA, and Michigan State Police anticipated the delivery.

Investigators later seized the cocaine from the courier's car, Totten said.

“These illegal substances destroy lives and devastate communities,” U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said. “We will never prosecute our way out of this problem, but we will continue our work to dismantle the regional-level supply lines that distribute drugs across Michigan.”

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After three days of trial, McNoriell was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin, along with possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 7.