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Category: Awareness
‘I want them to understand the urgency’ | NC Gov. Stein on efforts to end fentanyl crisis
The proposed fentanyl control unit would include drug agents and prosecutors dedicated to investigating drug rings and stopping the flow of narcotics into the state.
Watch the original video and read the article on the WCNC website.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein was in Charlotte on Thursday to push for funding for a fentanyl control unit.
Stein was joined by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officials and people impacted by the fentanyl crisis during the news conference. People like Debbie Dalton.
“It took hardly a minute for my 6’3″, very healthy son to have a heart attack,” Dalton said, “That’s the thing with fentanyl. You don’t see it coming, but it’s coming. It’s relentless, and it’s killing our young people, and nobody is safe from it.”
Dalton lost her son, Hunter, in 2016. She has since worked to prevent other families from dealing with the same loss, and she says Stein’s effort is a part of that.
The proposed fentanyl control unit would include drug agents and prosecutors dedicated to investigating drug rings statewide. It would also be tasked with stopping the flow of narcotics into North Carolina communities.
Stein has been pushing for this unit since 2023 when he was the state’s attorney general. However, it’s never made it into the final state budget.
The same is true for this year’s Senate budget proposal, which did not include a fentanyl crisis unit.
“I encourage you to talk to the legislature,” Stein said. “The House is considering its budget as we speak, and so, it’s not a coincidence we’re having this discussion right now because I want them to understand the urgency.”
He said it would cost a couple million a year, which Stein said is fully within the General Assembly’s ability. The Senate’s budget plan did include funding for 10 additional prosecutors and five legal assistants for Mecklenburg County. If approved, it would mark the first significant increase in staffing for the DA’s office in nearly 15 years — a period during which the county’s population has grown by approximately 20%.
Stein said this is an important effort, but they still need more law enforcement resources focused on fentanyl.
“I want there to be more local prosecutors, but I just know how local ADAs are, and they are way overwhelmed,” Stein said. “These can be focused on the issue of fentanyl.”
At Thursday’s meeting, CMPD officials said it has received 600 overdose calls so far in 2025, an 11% increase from this time in 2024.
Contact Julie Kay at juliekay@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
How Overdrive’s creative director is using branding to get people to test their drugs for fentanyl
What you should know on crime victims’ rights
Read the original article on the Raleigh News and Observer website.
The article continues on two more pages – download the article to read.
Overdose Tragedy Leads to Death by Distribution Arrest
Carteret County Leaders Honored for Fentanyl Crisis Response at Community Forum
This past Saturday, a community forum addressing the impact of fentanyl in Carteret County was held at the Beaufort Train Depot. During the event, Sheriff Asa Buck, District Attorney Scott Thomas, Assistant District Attorney Dave Spence, and Legal Assistant Michelle Gillikin, all of Prosecutorial District 4, were honored with the Save Lives Together Award for their collaborative work in holding fentanyl traffickers accountable. Additionally, Brooke Barnhill, manager of the County’s Post Overdose Response Team (PORT), provided a Narcan (naloxone) demonstration and outlined local recovery resources.
Carteret County issued a news release from the event.
Fentanyl Victims Network featured in NC Sheriff’s April Newsletter
The Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina was featured in an article in the North Carolina Sherrif’a Association April newsletter. Read the newsletter online here.
Man charged for deadly drug overdose in Kannapolis
Read the original article and watch the video on the WCNC website.
Alex Horne, 27, is charged with death by distribution in connection to the death of Rodney Anthony.
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Police have arrested a suspect after a man died from an opioid overdose in April 2024.
Alex Horne, 27, is charged with death by distribution. He is accused of supplying drugs to Rodney Anthony, who died of an opioid overdose.
Anthony died on Fir Avenue on April 20, 2024, according to the Kannapolis Police Department. It took nearly a year after Anthony’s death to identify Horne as the suspect.
Horne was arrested on Tuesday. He is being held with a $750,000 bond in Cabarrus County jail. His next court date is April 9.
Morehead City man charged in OD death
Read the original article and watch the video on the WITN News 7 website.
MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (WITN) – A man has been charged with the overdose death of a woman last summer in Morehead City.
Morehead City police say Bryan Mace was arrested last Thursday on charges of death by distribution, possession with the intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, and delivery of a Schedule II controlled substance.
Police say Kaitlyn Curry died from an overdose last July. An arrest warrant said Mace delivered fentanyl to the 36-year-old woman
Mace was already in jail for related drug charges. His bond was increased by $750,000 due to these additional charges.
Woman pleads guilty to death by distribution charge
Read the original article on the Watauga Democrat website.
BOONE — A woman pled guilty to death by distribution, marking the first conviction of its kind in Watauga County.
According to court documents, Angelina G. Miller, 30, was sentenced to 58-82 months in prison after she plead guilty to the charge that stemmed from a June 2023 arrest. She has already served 661 days.
Watauga County Sheriff’s Office Det. William Watson, who was the lead investigator on the case, is pleased with the outcome.
“Overdose deaths have too often been overlooked, but this conviction reinforces the importance of thorough investigations and justice for victims and their families,” said Det. Watson. “I extend my deepest condolences to the Greenlee family and friends mourning the tragic loss of Karma at just 22 years old. This investigation was conducted in her honor, ensuring her memory contributes to justice and awareness.”
Watson also expressed gratitude to the Watauga County District Attorney’s Office for its dedication to prosecuting this case, as well as the Boone Police Department, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Carter County Sheriff’s Office and Hickory Police Department for their “invaluable” support. He said the case was “only possible through the collective efforts of all involved.”
According to previous reporting by the Watauga Democrat, Miller sold Fentanyl to Karma L. Greenlee who later died due to an overdose on March 14, 2023.
WCSO detectives began an investigation into the suspected overdose with assistance from the Boone Police Department, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Alexander County Sheriff’s Office and the Hickory Police Department. Two suspects were identified for allegedly selling and distributing the Fentanyl that killed Greenlee: William M. Oxentine, of Johnson County, Tennessee, and Angelina G. Miller, of Catawba County. Oxentine will be served with the Death by Distribution charge once he has served his current time on the unrelated charges in Tennessee.
Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina Executive Director Barb Walsh said there were 35 fentanyl related fatalities between 2013-2023. Her daughter, Sophia Walsh, died in 2021 due to fentanyl.
“Undisclosed fentanyl additives are found in fake/counterfeit pills such as Adderall, Xanax, Oxycontin and Percocet,” Walsh said. “Victims obtain fake pills off the internet like SnapChat, from local dealers or from friends. They do not know they are fake and deadly. A Pharmacy is the only safe supplier of prescription medication. Deadly undisclosed fentanyl additives may also occur in recreational drugs such as cocaine, meth and heroin. This is a public safety issue across the state.”
To learn more about fentanyl deaths in North Carolina and prevention tools, visit fentanylvictimsnetworknc.org.
“There is an antidote for opioid toxicity,” Walsh said. “It is called naloxone, also known by brand names such as Narcan, Kloxxado, and Revive. Naloxone nasal spray can be obtained without prescription at a pharmacy, your local health department and from local Harm Reduction organizations.”
Watauga Sheriff Len Hagaman commended the investigative team’s hard work and emphasized the broader significance of this case.
“We hope that no other family has to endure the heartbreak of losing a loved one to an overdose. This conviction serves as a critical step in promoting accountability and preventing future tragedies in our community and beyond,” said Sheriff Hagaman.