Category: Awareness

Recorded overdoses in NC down 27% midway through 2026. Local departments warn of fentanyl spike

Read the original article and watch the video on the WRAL News website.

Data from the Department of Health and Human Services shows midway through 2026, North Carolina is seeing a 27% reduction of reported opioid overdoses across state emergency departments. 

Between January and June, to include six months of DHHS data, there are 2,031 reported opioid overdoses in the state. That’s down by more than 700 overdoses compared to the same period of time last year. 

Illicit opioids, which includes fentanyl, make up more than half of the emergency department visits in the state.  

This comes six months after WRAL reported that North Carolina, as a state, saw another consecutive year of declining opioid and fentanyl overdose numbers. An analysis of state health data showed that opioid overdose hospitalizations had decreased by more than 20% in the last year, marking two consecutive years of declining emergency department visits in North Carolina. The same data source shows similar trends for fentanyl positive deaths, which decreased by 24% in the last year. 

Even still, local police departments are issuing public safety notices about localized spikes in suspected fentanyl.

In Fayetteville, policer offers report an increase of overdoses believed to be caused by fentanyl in the local community. 

“The increase has prompted concern that particularly potent or contaminated illegal drugs may currently be circulating in the Fayetteville area,” a spokesperson for the department said. 

This rare spike comes as Cumberland County is experiencing a drastic reduction in overdoses reported to hospitals. Monthly DHHS data shows there are 33 reported cases so far this year, down from 95 over the same window of time last year. 

Illicit opioids, which includes fentanyl, make up more than half of the emergency department visits in the state.  

This comes six months after WRAL reported that North Carolina, as a state, saw another consecutive year of declining opioid and fentanyl overdose numbers. An analysis of state health data showed that opioid overdose hospitalizations had decreased by more than 20% in the last year, marking two consecutive years of declining emergency department visits in North Carolina. The same data source shows similar trends for fentanyl positive deaths, which decreased by 24% in the last year. 

Even still, local police departments are issuing public safety notices about localized spikes in suspected fentanyl.

In Fayetteville, policer offers report an increase of overdoses believed to be caused by fentanyl in the local community. 

“The increase has prompted concern that particularly potent or contaminated illegal drugs may currently be circulating in the Fayetteville area,” a spokesperson for the department said. 

This rare spike comes as Cumberland County is experiencing a drastic reduction in overdoses reported to hospitals. Monthly DHHS data shows there are 33 reported cases so far this year, down from 95 over the same window of time last year. 

By the numbers: Hospitalizations, deaths track down

Statewide, North Carolina recorded 4,960 emergency department visits related to opioid overdoses in 2025. That marks a 21% decrease in the last year, and a 48% decrease since 2023 when the state recorded a record number of 9,624.

In total, overdose emergency department visits decreased by 14% between 2024 and 2025. Last year’s 10,627 cases still mark a 43% reduction since 2023. 

Total Overdose Emergency Department visits

WRAL analyzed data across the Raleigh area, including the North Carolina counties that surround the capital city. Eight counties did not offer county-level reporting. The year-over-year data revealed that rural counties are among those that have seen the largest gains in opioid hospitalization reduction from a per capita standpoint.

“Since the spike stream of the pandemic, we’re following national trends and exceeding national trends. Not only state but county-level data,” Dr. Kelly Crosbie says, Director of DHHS’ Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services

Percent change between 2024 and 2025

Craven County deputies charge Havelock man in New Bern woman’s overdose death

Read the original article on the ABC News12 website.

A Havelock man has been charged with felony death by distribution following an investigation into the fatal drug overdose of a New Bern woman, according to the Craven County Sheriff’s Office.

Thomas John Fogle Jr.

The sheriff’s office said its Criminal Investigation Bureau charged Thomas John Fogle Jr., 38, of Derrick Circle, on July 30. Deputies said the charge is related to the overdose death of 32-year-old Amber Ryan of New Bern.

According to the sheriff’s office, investigators determined Fogle sold illegal narcotics to Ryan. Deputies said Ryan’s autopsy report confirmed her cause of death was a drug overdose.

The sheriff’s office said Fogle was already in custody when he was charged with felony death by distribution.

At the time, Fogle was in custody on several other charges, including:

  • Trafficking methamphetamine, two felony counts
  • Possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, two felony counts
  • Selling a Schedule II controlled substance
  • Delivering a Schedule II controlled substance
  • Possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana
  • Possession of a Schedule II controlled substance
  • Possession of methamphetamine
  • Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
  • Altering or removing a gun serial number
  • Possession of drug paraphernalia

Fogle is being held at the Craven County Confinement Facility under no bond.

Two charged after law enforcement finds fentanyl in search of vehicle

Read the original article on the WNCT9 On Your Side website.

Donta Antwan Valentine

WILLIAMSTON, N.C. (WNCT) — Two people were charged after a traffic stop near the intersection of Technology Blvd. and U.S. Highway 64 Wednesday, May 7, 2025.

Law enforcement officers said they smelled an odor of marijuana and saw evidence in plain view of controlled substances.

Deputies with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office responded and searched the vehicle. The search found 37 grams of fentanyl, digital scales and about $700.

Tineshia Latrice Brown

Donta Antwan Valentine, 41, of Windsor, was charged with:

  • Trafficking opium by transportation
  • Trafficking opium by possession
  • Possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a controlled substance
  • Substances within 1,000 feet of a school
  • Possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a schedule II controlled substance
  • Possession of drug paraphernalia

Valentine was jailed without bond for 48 hours.

Tineshia Latrice Brown, 34, of Lewiston-Woodville, was charged with:

  • Trafficking opium by transportation
  • Trafficking opium by possession
  • Possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school
  • Possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a schedule II controlled substance
  • Possession of drug paraphernalia

Brown was also jailed without bond for 48 hours.

Alleged Williamston drug dealer arrested during fatal overdose investigation

Read the original article on the WNCT9 On Your Side website.

MARTIN COUNTY, N.C. (WNCT) — Law enforcement officers with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office arrested a suspect connected to a fatal overdose from May.

On May 23, deputies arrived at Tammy Lane in Williamston to assist with reports of an overdose. Deputies found the individual deceased, prompting an investigation.

Investigators determined that Donta Antwan Valentine was involved in delivering the drugs to the victim before their death.

On July 22, law enforcement arrested Valentine at a Williamston motel. Detectives searched his room and reported that they found more than 100 grams of methamphetamine along with digital scales.

A Martin County magistrate revealed that Valentine was already on pre-trial release at the time of his arrest. Valentine was taken to the Catawba County Detention Facility, where he is being held without bond on one case and under a $2 million secured bond on a second.

“The distribution of illegal narcotics continues to devastate families and communities across our state. Those who choose to profit from selling these deadly substances must understand that they will be held accountable for their actions. I commend Lieutenant Roebuck, Agent Raynor, Sergeant Harrell, Deputy Murphy, and everyone involved in this investigation for their professionalism, dedication, and tireless efforts,” said Sheriff Drew Robinson. “The Martin County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to aggressively investigating overdose deaths, holding drug dealers accountable, and doing everything within our power to protect the citizens of Martin County.”

Man charged in fatal overdose in Martin County

Read the original article on the WCTI News12 website.

Williamston, NC — A Martin County man is facing charges in connection with a fatal overdose investigation after deputies say he allegedly supplied the drugs that led to a person’s death.

The investigation began on May 23, 2026, when deputies with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office responded to Tammy Lane in the Williamston area for a reported overdose.

According to the sheriff’s office, deputies found a person dead at the scene. Investigators said evidence collected during the initial investigation indicated the death was caused by a drug overdose.

Lieutenant Roebuck led the investigation, which included reviewing physical and digital evidence and executing multiple search warrants. Investigators ultimately identified Donta Antwan Valentine, 43, as the person who allegedly delivered the controlled substance that resulted in the victim’s death.

On July 22, Narcotics Agent Brandon Raynor and Sergeant Justin Harrell located Valentine at a motel in Williamston and arrested him without incident.

Deputies then executed a search warrant at the motel room, where they said they seized more than 100 grams of methamphetamine and digital scales commonly associated with drug distribution.

Authorities said Valentine was already on pre-trial release at the time of his arrest. A Martin County magistrate ordered him held without bond on one case. He is also being held under a $2 million secured bond on a separate case.

Valentine is currently being held at the Catawba County Detention Facility.

In a statement, Sheriff Drew Robinson said the sheriff’s office remains committed to aggressively investigating overdose deaths and holding drug dealers accountable.

Raleigh man gave his friend a fentanyl-laced pill. Now, he’ll serve prison time

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

Strother Murray-Ndinga talks about her stepson Serguei “Dolys” Ndinga Momo, who died from a drug overdose, as Jerimiah Hargrove (seated, at left), the man charged with selling him the drugs, listens in an Orange County court.

What started as a night of partying in 2023 ended with a prison sentence Tuesday for the man accused of selling the pills that killed his friend in a Carrboro home.

Jerimiah Hargrove, 22, of Raleigh, was scheduled to have his death by distribution case heard by an Orange County jury this week, but he chose Tuesday to accept an Alford plea instead.

That means Hargrove did not legally admit responsibility for the June 27, 2023, death of 21-year-old Serguei “Dolys” Ndinga Momo, but that he thought a jury would have found him guilty.

Superior Court Judge Stephanie Reese sentenced Hargrove to four to six years in prison, and also ordered him to get psychological and substance abuse treatment. He will also get educational and vocational training and be eligible for work release.

A second charge of selling a Schedule II controlled substance was dismissed Monday, court records show.

Reese warned Hargrove to take advantage of the programs available to him and to avoid alcohol and other substances in the future. Defense attorney Patrick Morgan told the court that Hargrove attended Johnston County Community College and worked several jobs before successfully completing most of a 12-month vocational training program in 2024.

Hargrove was kicked out of the Hope Center program after a relapse, but could return in the future, he said.

What led to Ndinga Momo’s death

Hargrove, Ndinga Momo, Hargrove’s girlfriend and another man were drinking together at the victim’s house in Carrboro after midnight on June 27 when Hargrove got out some “Perc 30s” — a pressed pill that included the prescription painkiller Percocet and fentanyl, Orange County Assistant District Attorney Anna Orr said.

Continue reading “Raleigh man gave his friend a fentanyl-laced pill. Now, he’ll serve prison time”

Drug dealer sentenced in Johnston County teen’s overdose death

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

A Selma man will spend at least eight years in prison after pleading guilty Monday to selling a teenager the drugs that killed her.

Isaiah Lathomas DaPaul Watson, 27, was charged with death by distribution in the August 2025 death of Alesha Meshaw, 19, of Four Oaks, The News & Observer previously reported.

Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Thomas H. Lock sentenced Watson to a minimum of eight years and maximum of 10 years and eight months in prison, the Johnston County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.

Meshaw was found dead at a friend’s home after overdosing on counterfeit oxycodone pills, The N&O reported in October. The state crime lab found the pills actually contained fentanyl; carfentanil, a synthetic opioid “much more potent than fentanyl”; and ANPP, “a direct precursor to fentanyl and acetylfentanyl,” according to search warrants in the case.

Meshaw’s autopsy found she died from a fentanyl and carfentanil overdose. Her death was ruled an accident.

Meshaw’s boyfriend told police she’d struggled with substance use, and investigators found texts on her phone indicating she’d met with Watson the day before her death to buy $50 of “blues,” according to search warrants.

Watson was arrested in Roanoke, Virginia, last September after hiding out at his girlfriend’s house, search warrants show. He’d previously served time in prison in a 2020 home invasion in Johnston County and also had pending charges there at the time of Meshaw’s death, court records indicate.

Johnston County District Attorney Jason Waller said in the release he was grateful for law enforcement’s work to seek justice for Meshaw.

“Death by distribution cases present unique challenges for prosecution,” Waller said in the email. “The most important witness to the drug transaction is no longer with us, and other witnesses involved in this type of crime are often reluctant to cooperate.”

Meshaw, also known as “Meme” by loved ones, was described by family members in a GoFundMe as a “bright soul [who] never let anything get her down.”

“Our heart goes out to Aleisha’s [sic] family, and I hope this outcome will help them find solace,” said Assistant District Attorney Keith Gordon, who prosecuted the case, in the release. “Aleisha [sic] was a very young woman, loved by many, whose life was lost to a senseless act of greed.”

Death by distribtion trial begins for man accused of selling fentanyl before Carrboro man’s overdose

Read the original article and watch the video on the WRAL News website.

Jeremiah Hargrove is one of seven people to ever be charged with death by distribution in Orange County.

Three years after a Carboro man died from an overdose, the man accused of selling him the drugs is going to trial.

The charge, death by distribution, is relatively new to the North Carolina court system.

The law has been in effect since 2019, making it relatively new when it comes to a legal sense, and it’s being used all across the state.

Law professionals said it can get very complicated when trying to prosecute someone for selling a deadly dose. Since 2019, when the charge of death by distribution became law, Jeremiah Hargrove is one of seven people to ever be charged with it in Orange County. The charges came after 21-year-old Delise Ndinga Momo died of an overdose.

“If it saves one life, it’s worth it,” said retired judge Carl Fox.

Fox said it has its difficulties in getting through the court.

“You have a little bit of difficulty because the main person you need is deceased,” Fox said.

Fox says to get a conviction there needs to be hard evidence of the sale.

“They are, by their very nature, difficult cases,” Fox said.

Hargrove’s trial is just beginning. The prosecutors will lay out their evidence over the course of the trial’s early days. Court records said he sold indigamomo fentanyl in 2023, less than a week after his 21st birthday.

Family members remembering him as a handsome, talented, strong and generous person according to the GoFundMe they created back then. He’s one of the more than 23,000 North Carolinians to die from an opioid overdose since the death by distribution law was created. In that same time frame, according to the Fentanyl Victims Network, nearly 400 people have been charged in relation to selling the drugs that caused those deaths.

You have to say that it’s accomplishing something, and there should be risks involved for people out there dealing dangerous addictive drugs, because that’s the kind of thing that can kill people,” Fox said.

If Hargrove is found guilty, he faces up to five to six years in prison. That trial is expected to continue throughout the week.

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