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FBI task force, sheriff’s office dismantle drug trafficking ring in Durham: Officials

Read the original article on the CBS17 News website.

DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — A drug trafficking ring in Durham has been dismantled following a yearlong joint investigation between the FBI Raleigh Durham Safe Streets Task Force and the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, officials said Monday.

FBI

According to the FBI, a total of 24.5 kilograms of cocaine and 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl were seized during the investigation, including from a tractor trailer caught in New Mexico.

Ten defendants were prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina and convicted as members of the Durham cocaine and fentanyl drug trafficking operation.

The FBI said the defendants were sentenced to federal prison during separate court appearances between Dec. 17, 2025, and July 8, 2026:

  • Khuram Choudhry, who was sentenced to 17 years on June 29, 2026
  • Kevin Johnson, who was sentenced to 17 years on Feb. 23, 2026
  • Shazad Khan, who was sentenced to 10 years on March 2, 2026
  • Jamaal Robertson, who was sentenced to five years and six months on Feb. 19, 2026
  • Dwight Chandler, who was sentenced to four years and three months on July 8, 2026
  • Shance Bostic, who was sentenced to three years on Feb. 25, 2026
  • Jason Chase, who was sentenced to two years and four months on March 3, 2026
  • Jerrell Green, who was sentenced to two years and six months on March 18, 2026
  • Wendy Rizo-Bodden, who was sentenced to two years on Feb. 20, 2026
  • Matt Morton, who was sentenced to seven months on Dec. 17, 2025

The federal prison sentences total 61 years and six months, according to the FBI.

“This joint operation demonstrates the power of federal and local law enforcement standing shoulder-to-shoulder,” Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead said in a statement. “I’m proud of the work our investigators do every day in conjunction with the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.

“Taking 10 dangerous drug traffickers off our streets — including repeat violent offenders who put law enforcement lives at risk — makes Durham County safer,” Birkhead continued in his statement. “Collectively, these defendants received more than six decades of federal prison time, which demonstrates our unwavering commitment to addressing drug trafficking and violent crime to protect everyone in our community.”

Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina, said, “This investigation demonstrates the unwavering resolve of the FBI and our partners to dismantle the criminal networks flooding our communities with deadly narcotics.

“Over the course of a year, the FBI Raleigh Durham Safe Streets Task Force executed a coordinated, resource-intensive operation that removed significant quantities of fentanyl and cocaine from the pipeline and brought 10 offenders to justice,” Davis continued in his statement. “These sentences underscore a simple truth: if you traffic drugs in our communities, the FBI will find you, we will dismantle your operation, and you will be held fully accountable.”

National Prescription Take Back Day is October 24

Read the original article on the City of Raleigh website.

Join the Raleigh Police Department and Substance Use Advisory Commission in addressing the drug overdose epidemic by participating in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) National Prescription Take Back Day. 

Safely dispose of your unneeded or expired prescription and over-the counter medications at the local pharmacies listed below. This is a free service and no questions will be asked.

When? Saturday, October 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where? Visit either one of the participating locations below.

  • Falls River Pharmacy, 10930 Raven Ridge Rd, Suite 109, Raleigh NC
  • Wegmans,1200 Wake Towne Dr, Raleigh NC

Safeguard your community’s safety and health by responsibly disposing of unneeded medication!

Raleigh man sentenced to federal prison for fatal fentanyl overdose in 2023

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.

Man charged in fatal overdose investigation in New Hanover County

Read the original article not the ABC News12 website.

Rondell Davis (New Hanover County)

New Hanover County — A man has been charged in connection with a fatal overdose in Wilmington, according to the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said detectives responded July 4 to a location on Carolina Beach Road to investigate the overdose death. After an investigation, detectives identified Rondell Kimpatrick Davis as a suspect.

Davis was charged Oct. 10 with death by distribution and a pretrial release violation. He is being held at the New Hanover County Detention Facility under a $550,000 secured bond.

22-year-old charged with death by distribution in Brunswick County overdose

Read the original article on the WWAYTV3 website.

Jordan Anthony Scott

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A 22-year-old North Carolina man has been charged with death by distribution following an investigation into a fatal overdose in Brunswick County.

According to the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, Dallas Sutton died from an overdose on July 16, 2026.

Investigators said methamphetamine and fentanyl were found at the scene, and toxicology results later confirmed both substances were in Sutton’s system at the time of her death.

Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division and Vice and Narcotics Division identified Jordan Anthony Scott, 22, of Stoneville, as a suspect.

According to investigators, evidence indicated Scott supplied controlled substances to Sutton before her death.

Scott has since been charged with death by distribution.

The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office said it remains committed to investigating overdose deaths and holding those responsible for distributing dangerous drugs accountable.

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