Wilmington man arrested in deadly Raleigh overdose, warrant shows

Read the original article on the WNCN CBS 17 website.

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) โ€” A Wilmington man was arrested Monday in connection with a deadly overdose in Raleigh earlier this month, a warrant shows.

According to the warrant issued by the Raleigh Police Department, 23-year-old Martin Lawrence Mulkins Jr. sold fentanyl and cocaine to Jeffrey Warren on Jan. 5, which led to Warrenโ€™s death.

Mulkins is charged with death by distribution/sale, a felony offense, according to the warrant.

Court records show Mulkins received a $5,000 secured bond. He is scheduled to appear in Wake County Court on Tuesday.

WRDC Community Matters January 11, 2025

On Saturday January 11, 2025 WRDC Community Matters aired a special episode where Barb Walsh, Michelle Murdock, and Betsy Moore from Wake County shared their stories.

Barb Walsh, Executive Director of Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina, fights to save lives and get justice for those killed by fentanyl poisoning. Joining Barb in the fight are Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina members Michelle Murdock and Betsy Ballard Moore.

There are two episodes being aired, Part 1 is airing January 11th, Part 2 will air one week later, January 18.

Durham man charged with death by distribution in overdose case. Is that common in NC?

Read the original article on the Raleigh News and Observer website.

More than a year after a Carrboro man fatally overdosed, a Durham man has been accused of selling him the fentanyl that killed him, police said Tuesday.

More than a year after a Carrboro man fatally overdosed, a Durham man has been accused of selling him the fentanyl that killed him, police said Tuesday.

David Allen Bonita, 34, is charged with death by distribution in the March 29, 2023, death of Arman Guerra Imani, 32, according to a Carrboro Police Department news release. Bonita allegedly sold and delivered fentanyl to Imani, who died after injecting it, Bonitaโ€™s arrest warrant states.

Imani was found unresponsive by his mother in the bathroom of his East Winmore Avenue home shortly before 3 p.m. that day, according to an investigative report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. He was last known to be alive around midnight.

Imaniโ€™s cause of death was an accidental overdose due to โ€œacute ethanol, fentanyl, gabapentin, methadone and mitragynine toxicity,โ€ the medical examinerโ€™s investigative report states.

Bonitaโ€™s arrest warrant was issued on Oct. 31, but he was not arrested by members of the Carolinas Regional U.S. Marshals Task Force until Tuesday, police said. He is being held in the Orange County Detention Center on $150,000 secured bond, records show.

Fentanyl deaths, death by distribution charges in the Triangle

Bonitaโ€™s arrest mirrors another recent case in Carrboro in which Jeremiah Hargrove, 20, of Selma was charged with death by distribution in the June 27, 2023, death of Serguei Ndinga Momo, 21, The News & Observer previously reported. Momo also overdosed on fentanyl, police said.

The most recent data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services shows that as of July, there were 169 fentanyl-positive deaths throughout the state, a decrease from the 262 fentanyl-positive deaths North Carolina had seen by July 2023. In Orange County, there had been nine fentanyl-positive deaths as of Nov. 25., the department reported. Thatโ€™s a decline from the 26 fentanyl-positive deaths in the county from January to August 2023, data shows.

Death by distribution charges remain relatively uncommon throughout the state and the Triangle, statewide data shows.

Throughout North Carolina, 54 death by distribution charges were filed from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, according to data obtained by The N&O from the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts. During that same period, no new death by distribution charges were filed in Orange or Durham counties, and only one new charge was filed in Wake County.

A born naturalist and animal lover

Imani, a graduate of East Chapel Hill High School who attended UNC-Wilmington, was described by loved ones in his obituary as โ€œa born naturalist.โ€ The 32-year-old animal lover was passionate about politics and social justice and enjoyed gardening, fishing, cooking and searching for edible plants in the woods, according to his obituary.

โ€œHe wanted to change the paradigm on how Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is treated in the US, allowing for a more open spectrum of treatment options,โ€ the obituary states.

Above all, Imaniโ€™s legacy is the kindness he showed to those around him, his obituary says.

โ€œThe one enduring trait that people will remember about Arman was his kindness,โ€ the obituary said. โ€œIn keeping with Armanโ€™s way of life, in lieu of flowers or gifts, we ask that you convey kindness unto others, especially those who are in need.โ€

US Marshals arrest Durham man in connection to 2023 fentanyl overdose in Carrboro

Read the original article on the CBS17 website.

CARRBORO, N.C. (WNCN) โ€” More than a year and a half after a man died from a fentanyl overdose, the person suspected of selling the drug to him has been arrested, according to police.

On Tuesday, the Carrboro Police Department announced David Allen Bonita, 33, of Durham was arrested in connection to an overdose, which happened in Carrboro on March 29, 2023. Bonita is charged with death by distribution.

The overdose victim, a 32-year-old man, was found in a home on E. Winmore Avenue in Carrboro. Police say he was deceased when officers arrived.

The victimโ€™s autopsy found that his death was the result of a fentanyl overdose, police said. This laid the foundation for an investigation which led to the identification of Bonita as the person who โ€œsold a qualifying controlled substanceโ€ to the victim, which was the โ€œproximate causeโ€ of his death.

The Carolinas Regional US Marshals Task Force arrested Bonita Tuesday. He is being held in the Orange County Detention Center and was given a $150,000 bond.

In a release shared Tuesday, Carrboro police reminded the public that the first step to take when you suspect someone is in an overdose state is to call 911 immediately. Protections are provided to someone in an overdose state and the 911 caller if certain criteria are met, as listed inย NCโ€™s Good Samaritan Law.

The Carrboro Police Department has carried naloxone, an opioid antagonist, since 2014. The agency also conducted the first two law enforcement reversals of an opioid overdose in the state in 2015.

โ€œThe police department is committed to providing life-saving care in these situations,โ€ the release said, alongside a link to behavioral health resources for people living with substance use and other challenges.

Drug sting leads to dozens of arrests, drug seizures in Selma

Read the original article and watch the video on the ABC11 website.

SELMA, N.C. (WTVD) — A major operation in Johnston County that’s been 10 months in the making has taken dozens of alleged drug dealers off the street.

Selma Police said “Operation Tainted Candy” resulted in 25 arrests Tuesday, and that SPD confiscated large quantities of meth, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and more. The sting constitutes one of the largest in Selma’s history.

“I just think that it’s really important that our streets are safe and our neighborhoods are safe,” said Vanessa Lopez, a Selma resident and mother of five.

It makes you feel like you’re doing something great for your community, great for the town, and you’re getting bad stuff off the streets. – Sgt. Justin Vause, Selma Police Department.

Vanessa’s children range in age from 9 to 20, and she said that means a fair share of worrying about their safety and what potentially looms on the street.

“They’re all within the space of ages that I would be thinking about, you know, their friendships and the people that they’re spending time with,” she said. “And they also want to ride bikes around the neighborhood and just things like that.”

As part of the sting, which used undercover drug buys across Selma during 10 months, police rounded up drugs and alleged drug dealers at various locations, including the Quality Inn, and homes on Wood Street and Cypress Court.

“It makes you feel like you’re doing something great for your community, great for the town, and you’re getting bad stuff off the streets,” said Sgt. Justin Vause with Selma PD.

The town’s mayor, Byron McAllister, said he’s proud of the work being done to clean up Selma’s streets.

“That is a blessing to this community, particularly a community being right off of (Interstate) 95 that sees the effects of drugs daily on a daily basis up front, close and personal,” said McAllister.

McAllister said that as a father of four, he’s reassured knowing the work that’s underway to combat drug crime.

“You can go to sleep much easier knowing that there’s someone always watching your back in the town of Selma,” he said.

Selma PD identified 27 targets as part of Operation Tainted Candy and is still searching for two suspects in the sting. Charges range from simple possession to possession with intent to distribute, to drug trafficking, and more.

Social Media Fentanyl Dealer and Blood Gang Member Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison

Read the orignal article on the US Attorney’s Office Eastern District website.

WILMINGTON, N.C. โ€“ A Raleigh fentanyl dealer who used social media platforms to advertise his product was sentenced to 144 months in prison, which includes an enhancement for the defendantโ€™s attempts to intimidate government witnesses. On April 25, 2024, Axel Rodriguez a/k/a โ€œFlash,โ€ age 23, pled guilty to conspiracy and trafficking of fentanyl.

โ€œDrug traffickers are increasingly pushing deadly fake pills through social media.ย  Theyโ€™ve learned they donโ€™t need to stand on street corners when they can reach kids on their smart phones,โ€ said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.ย โ€œCounterfeit Oxycontin, Percocet, and Xanax sold on social media are driving addiction and overdose death.ย Itโ€™s time to get the word out and warn kids of the risks.โ€

According to court documents and other information presented in court, in March 2023, Rodriguez became the subject of a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Raleigh Police Department (RPD) investigation after he was identified as selling fentanyl in the Raleigh area using his Instagram account. Rodriguez regularly used his Instagram account to post pictures of the pills he was selling, as well as guns. Rodriguez would advertise that he was able to sell โ€œK packsโ€ of fentanyl pills, which is slang for 1,000 pills. Investigators reviewed Rodriguezโ€™s Instagram account and observed numerous posts of firearms, gang members with firearms, and fentanyl pills for sale.

The investigation revealed Rodriguez was obtaining thousands of pills at a time and then distributing them in the Raleigh area. Between March and May of 2023, investigators conducted multiple controlled purchases of blue pills marked โ€œM-30โ€ from Rodriguez. For example, on March 13, 2023, investigators purchased 25 pills marked โ€œM30.โ€ The confidential informant reported that he observed four firearms in Rodriguezโ€™s vehicle during that transaction. The pills tested positive for the presence of fentanyl.

Continue reading “Social Media Fentanyl Dealer and Blood Gang Member Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison”

Mother of NC fentanyl victim turns tragedy to advocacy amid growing crisis

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) โ€” According to the CDC, tens of thousands of people die each year from fentanyl. Itโ€™s an issue affecting people across the country, and right here in North Carolina.

Heaven Leigh Nelson, a 24-year-old victim of fentanyl. (Photo courtesy Patricia Drewes)

Officials have been working on solutions for years to get fentanyl out of the state and country.

Just two milligrams of this powerful synthetic opioid is enough to kill the average person, and it does just that, every day.

โ€œShe loved everyone, and everyone loved her,โ€ said Patricia Drewes of her daughter, Heaven Leigh Nelson. Drewes said in her daughterโ€™s 24 years on this earth, she loved photography, the arts and people.

โ€œShe used to tell me all the time that there was no such thing as strangers. The strangers were friends that we just hadnโ€™t met yet and thatโ€™s the way she lived her life,โ€ she added.

Drewes said one day, Heaven went to a party.

โ€œSomething happened to her at a partyโ€”something tragicโ€”and that set her into a tailspin. So, my daughter did suffer from a substance abuse disorder and that was caused by this tragic event,โ€ Drewes said.

Her daughter went to a rehabilitation center in Kentucky for help.

โ€œSomeone brought her back home against my wishes. They had sent me a message saying they wanted to bring her back. You know, that she wanted to come home and I refused to bring her home because I wanted her to finish the program,โ€ Drewes said.

She said Heaven came back home to Vance County, N.C. just before she received the call every parent fears.

โ€œOn a Monday night, January 28, 2019, and my fiancรฉ answered the phone, and I heard him say oh God oh no,โ€ Drewes said. โ€œI think that my mind knew but my heart didnโ€™t want to accept that it was about my daughter.โ€

Heaven passed away and it was not until months later that Drewes said she learned fentanyl took her daughterโ€™s life. At the time, she says, she knew nothing about fentanyl.

โ€œAbsolutely nothing. No one was talking about illicit fentanyl in 2019. I had no clue,โ€ said Drewes. โ€œIt felt like someone had punched me in my face and a gut punch because to me, illicit fentanyl, is, thatโ€™s a poisoning. Thatโ€™s murder. And thatโ€™s what it felt like when I read the fentanyl. And Iโ€™m like, what is fentanyl?โ€

โ€œA larger issue every single dayโ€

Just the tiniest bit of fentanyl, two milligrams, is enough to kill the average person.

โ€œItโ€™s not just those that have a substance use disorder dying in this country. Everyoneโ€™s children are dying. We have infants, we have toddlers, we have teenagers, young adults, those with substance use disorder, and those withoutโ€”dying. You know, it affects everyone,โ€ said Drewes.

According to data from the North Carolina Division of Health and Human Services, in 2012, 140 people died from fentanyl state-wide. In 2021, the number skyrocketed to 3,117. The most-recent finalized data available comes from 2021, according to the department.

In Wake County in 2012, there was a more than 8,700% increase in deaths from fentanyl during that same time period.

In Durham County, there was an 8,900% increase in deaths from fentanyl from 2012 to 2021.

โ€œWell, unfortunately, Mary, itโ€™s becoming a larger issue every single day. And thatโ€™s not an over-exaggeration. For example, last year, my deputies seized approximately 3.7, little less than four grams of fentanyl. And earlier this year, we have seized over 300 grams of fentanyl,โ€ said Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead.

At the sheriffโ€™s office, evidence technicians handle suspected fentanyl in plastic bags. The โ€œcontrolled contrabandโ€ was seized by the sheriffโ€™s office. In the room with the evidence is Narcan, just in case.

โ€œWeโ€™ve seized in pills. Weโ€™ve seized pill presses along with it. Itโ€™s been laced. Marijuana is being laced with fentanyl. So, weโ€™re seeing it in unimaginable places,โ€ said Sheriff Birkhead. โ€œThis is an industry that is making money. Fentanyl is far cheaper than any other drug to manufacture or to make these days. We know that this is not just a North Carolina or East Coast problem. The precursors for fentanyl come from China. The drugs are coming up from the southern border. Theyโ€™re coming across from the northern border, and theyโ€™re just infiltrating cities all across the country. And unfortunately, it has made its way to Durham.โ€

Provisional data from the CDC states in 2023, there were an estimated 74,702 deaths from synthetic opioids, which it says is primarily fentanyl. Thatโ€™s down slightly from 76,226 in 2022.
Provisional data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services from June 2024 shows โ€œfentanyl positiveโ€ deaths also trending downward. These are deaths where fentanyl was detected but the personโ€™s official cause of death has not been ruled/determined.

Turning tragedy into advocacy

While there are reported decreases in deaths, Drewes tells us, there is so much work to do. After her daughterโ€™s death, she founded โ€˜Forgotten Victims of North Carolina,โ€ is one of two state representatives for the North Carolina chapter of Drug-Induced Homicide Foundation, and is the Vice President of โ€˜Lost Voices of Fentanyl.โ€™

โ€œWe are the largest fentanyl advocacy group in the country. We host a national event every year at the national monument, and we march to the white house,โ€ said Drewes.

Sometimes attending these advocacy events by her side is her daughterโ€™s son. โ€œShe was my only child so he will be my only grandchild and thatโ€™s what I call him. Heโ€™s my gift from God and Heaven.โ€

(Photo courtesy Patricia Drewes)

Drewes told CBS 17 she wants more people held accountable in these cases. In North Carolina, there is a criminal charge called death by distribution. However, she says no one has been charged in connection to her daughterโ€™s death.

How to access naloxone, other resources in NC

In North Carolina, there is a statewide standing order for naloxone, commonly known by the brand name, โ€œNarcan.โ€ It authorizes pharmacists to dispense naloxone to any person meeting the criteria.

Under this order, it is available without a prescription at most retail pharmacies in the state. It is also covered under most insurance policies. It is also available at local health departments and many syringe service programs.

According to preliminary SSP data from DHHS, more than 114,000 naloxone overdose rescue kits were distributed last year. For more information about naloxone and other statewide resources, visit the NCDHHS website or https://naloxonesaves.org/.

Bringing Attention to the Worst Drug Crisis in US History (Fentanyl Awareness Message For Youth)

Imagine if your child went to sleep tonight, never to wake up in the morning. If you can’t, then share this video message.

SAVE A LIFE. The time is NOW. “Fentanyl, which is often hidden in counterfeit pills, is fueling the worst drug crisis in U.S. history. Last year the synthetic opioid killed more than 70,000 Americans.” -60 Minutes on CBS

Just Two Questions has created this video to tell Wilson Moore’s story and raise awareness of the risks of counterfeit pills in America.

Wayne County deputy sentenced to six-plus years for drug trafficking and fraud conspiracies

Wayne County sheriff’s deputy Michael Kenneth Cox received a six-year, two-month prison sentence for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy and a mail and wire fraud conspiracy.

A Wayne County sheriffโ€™s deputy received a six-year, two-month sentence for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy and a mail and wire fraud conspiracy, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

Michael Kenneth Cox, 49, will also have three years of supervised release after the sentence.

โ€œWe discovered Coxโ€™s criminal activity as part of a much larger, multi-year investigation into dozens of drug traffickers across eastern North Carolina known as Operation Polar Bear,โ€ said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Michael Easley Jr.

Citing court documents and other information presented in court, the Justice Department said Cox helped two drug traffickers evade chargers while he was a Wayne County deputy.

Continue reading “Wayne County deputy sentenced to six-plus years for drug trafficking and fraud conspiracies”

Families form united front against fentanyl deaths

Read the original article on the Wilson Times website.

Members of Moms on a Mission and the Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina gather outside the Wilson County Courthouse to show support for families who have lost loved ones to fentanyl overdose.ย Drew C. Wilson | Times

Two organizations for families who have lost children to fentanyl overdose came together in a show of solidarity Tuesday as a defendant charged with death by distribution made a brief appearance in Wilson County Criminal Superior Court.

Members of Wilsonโ€™s Moms on a Mission and the Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina sat in the courtroom as defendant Albert Green, 23, of Wilson, appeared with his attorney, Will Farris.

Green is charged with felony death by distribution in the fatal overdose of 17-year-old Jacob Puente Castro, who died Sept. 25.

Green faces additional charges including felony selling and delivering a Schedule II controlled substance, felony possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, felony maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for the purpose of controlled substances and felony possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver a Schedule II controlled substance.

Continue reading “Families form united front against fentanyl deaths”
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