RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Officials said Monday that a North Carolina man was sentenced in a fentanyl operation that continued even after his arrest in a 120 mph car chase with two children that led to a fiery crash.
Daquan Wainwright, 26, of Onslow County was eventually busted on drug charges when deputies responded to his home for a domestic dispute, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Even after his eventual arrest, Wainwright ordered others to collect the drug debts owed to him and give the money to his mother, officials said.
Wainwright was first busted in March 2022 and authorities ended his fentanyl trafficking six months later — thanks to a search of a house in which the woman he lived lied about children being home, officials said.
Wainwright, with London Kebe, as a co-defendant, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to trafficking fentanyl while armed with firearms, a Monday U.S. Attorney’s Office news release said.
A 2021 Audi luxury car was seized during his eventual arrest, deputies said.
Officials first began looking into Wainwright after police and deputies received around 15 complaints about him selling drugs in Onslow County, the news release said.
On March 1, 2022, Wainwright — with two children in his car — led cops on a 120 mph chase before crashing into a ditch. The car erupted in flames, but no one was injured, officials said.
But from the charred car wreckage deputies found 681 grams of marijuana in the car, officials said.
After that, an investigation into Wainwright’s criminal activities continued with a sting buy of two ounces of fentanyl from Wainwright, officials said.
But, Wainwright’s criminal enterprise only came to an end with a lie about children during a domestic dispute on Sept. 29, 2022, the news release said.
After being called about the domestic matter, deputies arrived at the Eider Loop Road home of Kebe and Wainwright. Kebe opened the door, and deputies immediately smelled the odor of marijuana in the house, located south of Jacksonville, officials said.
Deputies tried to take Kebe into custody on an active warrant but she claimed there were children in the home. Authorities searched the house but found no children.
However, officials said they did find:
- 2+ kilograms of fentanyl
- 40 pounds of marijuana
- drug paraphernalia
- a loaded Highpoint handgun
- a loaded AR-15 rifle
- a stolen 9mm handgun
- a rifle with an obliterated serial number
- another 9mm loaded handgun
- several rounds of ammunition
- nearly $15,000 in cash
As deputies were at the house, Wainwright drove by the home several times and was eventually arrested there.
He tried to destroy his phone as he was being handcuffed but officials said they were able to locate pictures and other evidence in the phone of drug trafficking and firearm possession.
“After he was in custody, Wainwright continued to direct others to collect debts owed to him for drugs and provide the payment to his mother,” the news release said.
The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, Jacksonville Police Department, and the DEA investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Lemons prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan oversaw the guilty plea agreement.