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.
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
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.”
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.
WAXHAW, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A Charlotte man is charged with death by distribution after a man’s death last March, Waxhaw Police say.
Taylor Demetrius Yates
On March 2, 2026, officers were called to a home on Cassidy Drive after 33-year-old Andrew Rivera fatally overdosed on fentanyl.
A months-long investigation resulted in the arrest of 34-year-old Taylor Demetrius Yates on July 20 in east Charlotte. He is charged with felony death by distribution and trafficking in fentanyl in connection with Rivera’s death.
“This case is a reminder that fentanyl continues to devastate families in many communities, including our own,” said Waxhaw Police Chief Dexter Wilson. “The Waxhaw Police Department remains committed to aggressively investigating drug-related crimes, holding offenders accountable, and working with our partners to keep our community safe.”
Yates is being held without bond at the Union County Jail. He was arrested by Waxhaw Police narcotics detectives and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Crime Reduction Team.
A Johnston County man is facing multiple charges in a woman’s fatal overdose at a Four Oaks home this summer.
A Johnston County man has been charged with death by distribution in a woman’s fatal overdose this summer.
Isaiah Lathomas Dapaul Watson, 26, is accused of selling $50 of pills containing fentanyl to Alesha Nicole Meshaw, 19, who was found dead in the early morning hours of Aug. 17 at a friend’s residence in Four Oaks, according to search warrants in the case.
A warrant for his arrest was issued Sept. 12, and Watson was taken into custody at his girlfriend’s home in Roanoke, Virginia, two days later, court documents state.
Watson, of Selma, is also charged with selling a Schedule II controlled substance, delivering a Schedule II controlled substance and possession of a Schedule II substance with intent to manufacture, sell or distribute, court records show.
Hours before Meshaw’s death, she reportedly complained of intense leg pain to the friend she was staying with, warrants state. The friend called her boyfriend to help move Meshaw off the bathroom floor, the warrants state. The News & Observer is not naming any of the other involved parties because they have not been charged with a crime in Meshaw’s death.
After moving Meshaw to a bedroom, the friend told police that Meshaw appeared to be sleeping, but when she checked on her later, Meshaw was “unresponsive,” according to the warrants. When the woman touched Meshaw’s hand, it felt cold, prompting her to call police about 2:15 a.m.
Meshaw’s boyfriend gave police her cellphone, which he said he’d retrieved from the home shortly before law enforcement arrived, the warrants state. It’s not clear why he took Meshaw’s phone from the scene. Police also found a container of eight blue pills at the scene; Meshaw’s friend reported finding the drugs in Meshaw’s purse, according to the warrants.
“[The friend] suspected Meshaw was high because in the past she knew Meshaw used Percocet without a prescription,” the warrants state. “Instead of Percocet, she located these blue pills and placed them into a container to show her mom and dispose of them later.”
Meshaw’s boyfriend told police she struggled with substance use. Text messages on her phone showed texts between Meshaw and Watson arranging to purchase “blues” about 3:15 p.m. the day before her death, search warrants allege.
An analysis from the state crime laboratory found the pills contained carfentanil, a synthetic opioid “much more potent than fentanyl”; fentanyl; and ANPP, “a direct precursor to fentanyl and acetylfentanyl,” search warrants say. A detective described the combination as commonly leading to overdoses.
The pills Meshaw allegedly purchased were meant to imitate oxycodone, a commonly prescribed type of pain pill, according to search warrants. Counterfeit pills like the ones found at the scene actually contain fentanyl, which is much more potent.
A postmortem urine test showed Meshaw tested positive for fentanyl and marijuana, search warrants state.
A grand jury indicted Watson on Sept. 22 on the charges tied to Meshaw’s death, court records show. He remained in the Johnston County jail as of Friday morning with bail set at $5 million secured.
A GoFundMe for Meshaw’s family had raised $1,047 of its $3,000 goal as of Friday morning. The fundraiser described Meshaw, also known as “Meme,” as a “bright soul [who] never let anything get her down.”
Suspect faced unrelated charges
At the time of Watson’s arrest, he already was facing multiple pending charges in unrelated cases, including a Dec. 2 charge of possession of a firearm by a felon and Oct. 15, 2024, charges of fleeing/eluding arrest with a motor vehicle, resisting a public officer, possession of marijuana paraphernalia and simple possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance, court records show.
He was out on $50,000 secured bond at the time of Meshaw’s death.
Watson was previously convicted of first-degree burglary, robbery with a dangerous weapon and second-degree kidnapping in October 2020 in Johnston County. He was released from prison Sept. 14, 2023, state records show.
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.
