Read the original article on the Raleigh News & Observer website.
A Raleigh man was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl that lead to the 2023 overdose death of a 26-year-old man, federal prosecutors announced.
Kenneth Omar Roger Chung, 53, also known as “Skully,” was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. Chung previously pleaded guilty in May to the distribution charge, as well as conspiracy to possess with intent to sell fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, the investigation began on March 28, 2023, when Raleigh police officers found the victim, who was not publicly identified, dead with heroin, Xanax, and “purple fentanyl powder” in his backpack.
Investigators traced the fatal dose back to Chung through text messages on the victim’s cellphone, prompting law enforcement to conduct a series of undercover drug buys from Chung and a co-defendant.
A string of fatal overdoses
Court records connect Chung’s drug operation to two additional fatal overdoses in Wake County just months later in October 2023. A Cary man died after Chung allegedly delivered crack cocaine to him.
A little over two weeks later, on Oct. 23, Raleigh police responded to Chung’s apartment and found his roommate unresponsive. The roommate later died of an overdose.
Following the roommate’s death, investigators raided Chung’s apartment two days later. Officers seized significant quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and four firearms, leading to his arrest.
In a news release, Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce said “we worked to disrupt the illegal drug trade, remove dangerous drugs from our community, and protect the people we serve.”
The prosecution is part of “Operation Take Back America,” a U.S. Department of Justice initiative targeting criminal organizations.