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RUTHERFORD, N.C. (FOX Carolina) – The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said a woman already in jail on a $1 million bond has now charged with death by distribution.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies were called to a home on Boiling Springs Road in Mooresboro in reference to a possible overdose on Oct. 31, 2025. The victim was provided medical aid and taken to the hospital where they later died.
Officials said a criminal investigation was initiated and on Nov. 19, a search warrant was executed at a home on Country Home Drive.
Amanda Blake Smith(Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office)
During the search, investigators said they found approximately 1,600 pressed fentanyl pills (192 grams), 28 grams of fentanyl powder, and a 9mm handgun.
As a result of the investigation, deputies said Amanda Blake Smith of Forest City was arrested and charged with the following:
(2 counts) Trafficking opium or heroin
Maintaining a vehicle/dwelling/place for a controlled substance
Possession of marijuana (up to ½ ounce)
Possession of drug paraphernalia
Smith was issued a $1,000,000 secured bond on those charges on Nov. 19, officials said.
The sheriff’s office said months later, Smith was additionally charged second-degree murder and death by distribution on Jan. 29, 2026. She will receive a bond for these new charges after she goes before a judge.
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – A second suspect has been arrested in connection with a fentanyl distribution that resulted in a death, according to the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office (NHCSO).
NHCSO deputies responded to a report of an unresponsive individual on Carolina Beach Road early Sunday, Jan. 11.
Deputies found Kenneth Howard Hudgins, who was pronounced dead at the scene due to an apparent overdose.
According to NHCSO, vice detectives determined during the investigation that Dawn Blankenship and Joshua Alberto Flores were involved in the delivery of fentanyl to Hudgins on Saturday, Jan. 10.
Leah Blankenship and Joshua Alberto Flores(New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office)
NHCSO officials said detectives found Flores on Sunday in possession of a trafficking-level quantity of fentanyl.
He was arrested and charged with trafficking fentanyl; death by distribution by sale; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver fentanyl; and sale of fentanyl.
Flores appeared in court Thursday, Jan. 15. He received a $500,000 secured bond and was given a court-appointed attorney.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 5 at 9 a.m.
Blankenship, 19, was arrested on Tuesday, Jan. 13, and charged with death by distribution; selling and delivering fentanyl; and possession with intent to sell and deliver fentanyl.
The assistant district attorney said at her court appearance Jan. 14 that Blankenship was with the victim when he died, but did not call 911 for about an hour.
Blankenship received a $250,000 bond during her court appearance and requested a court-appointed attorney.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 29 at 9 a.m.
DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, will soon be available at every middle school and high school in Davidson County.
The Board of Education unanimously voted yes for the policy on Monday. Davidson County School officials say the district will take about 30 days for training and implementation.
Naloxone will be available in all 17 middle schools and high schools in Davidson County. A Davidson County parent whose children graduated from the district and currently have four grandchildren in the schools said the measure could save lives.
“Our son … was murdered by fentanyl,” said Lorie Loomis, a Davidson County parent.
Loomis says they have been fighting for naloxone to be available in Davidson County Schools for over two years.
“It’s a victory for the parents in this county,” said Dana Loomis, Lorie Loomis’ husband.
For Dana and Lorie, this isn’t just about policy. It’s about protecting lives.
The naloxone will be provided by the Davidson Medical Ministries at no cost. According to Janise Hurely, the executive director, each school will get two boxes of naloxone.
“The county health assessment says one of the number one issues, and it has been this way for almost 20 years now, is substance use disorder,” Hurley said.
Dr. Greggory Slate, the superintendent of Davidson County Schools, says once implemented, naloxone could be found in schools’ medical kits.
SCOTLAND COUNTY, NC (WMBF) – Two women are facing charges in North Carolina after a year-long investigation into a fentanyl-related death.
Deputies with the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office arrested Laura Cox, 30, of Rockingham, North Carolina, and Allison Davis, 27, of Cheraw, South Carolina, in connection with a death in May of last year.
Laura Cox (left), Allison Davis (right)(Scotland County Sheriff’s Office)
Cox and Davis are facing death by distribution and felony conspiracy charges. Both have been given bond: Cox was given a $1,500,000 secured bond, and Davis was given a $1,000,000 secured bond.
Narcotic investigator Lt. E. Haywood was notified in May of 2024 of a death involving the potential illegal distribution of Fentanyl, determining the person died from the illegal drug, the sheriff’s office said.
During the investigation, deputies gathered information from the county’s emergency services, the Scotland Memorial Hospital, and the Office of the Medical Examiners.
After the investigation and in-depth interviews were conducted, warrants were obtained, and the two were arrested on Dec. 1, 2025, according to the sheriff’s office.
Throughout the investigation, several law enforcement agencies assisted the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office, including Narcotic Investigator Sergeant S. Sullivan, the Rockingham Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center, along with the Chesterfield County/Cheraw South Carolina Law Enforcement Agencies.
A Raleigh mom is raising awareness about drug overdose risks by gifting skateboards to children across the Triangle area. Her mission not only remembers her son but also educates families on the dangers of substance abuse.
Susan Plattner’s son, Caleb Mehlman, spent most of his free time at Marsh Creek Skatepark in Raleigh. She said skateboarding was second nature for her son.
“At the age of three, I had a scooter, and he figured out how to push the handle down and turn it into a skateboard, and that was it,” Plattner said. “He was skating passionately ever since then.”
This is a major moment in the fight against counterfeit pills. “Sophie” Xaiofei Chen has been sentenced to 4 years and 4 months for trafficking pill-making equipment into the U.S., one of the few times a supplier with no direct drug trafficking charges has faced serious consequences.
Learn how this case signals a broader federal crackdown on companies supplying the tools used to manufacture deadly fake pills, why this matters, what’s next in 2026, and how this prosecution fits into America’s struggle with fentanyl-laced counterfeit medications.
DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — A man has been arrested, and a kilo of the highly potent, synthetic opioid fentanyl has been seized by the Durham County Sheriff’s Office.
On Thursday, Jerrad Alexander McPherson, 28, was seen acting suspiciously in what appeared to be the sale and distribution of drugs, according to investigators with the sheriff’s narcotics unit.
Detective S. Dixon attempted a traffic stop of the maroon Buick Encore McPherson was driving, at which time warrants state McPherson drove recklessly and more than 15 mph over the posted limit in the area of Hillsborough and Colemill roads in northwest Durham.
During a short pursuit, the sheriff’s office said McPherson threw items out of the car before coming to a stop. The items thrown from the car were found to be a stolen 9mm semiautomatic pistol and a “small amount of narcotics,” according to the sheriff’s office.
After the traffic stop, a warrant was granted to search McPherson’s home, where a kilo of fentanyl was found and seized.
At the time of his arrest, McPherson was on federal probation and had been previously convicted on drug possession charges, according to his warrant.
Following his Thursday arrest, he was taken to the Durham County jail and given a $2.5 million bond. His charges include:
Trafficking opium or fentanyl
Possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver fentanyl
Possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver methamphetamine
Felony possession of cocaine
Felony flee/elude arrest with a motor vehicle
2 counts of maintaining a vehicle/dwelling with controlled substances
Possession of a stolen firearm
Possess firearm by felon
Possession of drug paraphernalia
The sheriff’s office said one kilo is enough to kill about 500,000 people, which is more than the population of the entire City of Durham.
“To remove a kilo of fentanyl off our streets potentially saves 500,000 lives because fentanyl is so potent,” Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead told CBS 17. “An amount that’s the size of a pinhead could kill an individual.”
From January to August 2025, the state reported 44 fentanyl-positive deaths in Durham County. Though progress is being made, the county has lost more than 500 people due to opioids since 2013.
“Hopefully now, we’ll put together a good case and present it to the district attorney or to the U.S. attorney’s office because this is trafficking,” Birkhead said. “We’ll try to prosecute this individual to the fullest extent of the law.”
That’s a welcomed goal for family members of local victims.
PLEASANT GARDEN, N.C. — A 31-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with a fatal 2024 overdose, according to the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said Dylan Wayne Brown was taken into custody Monday following what they described as an extensive investigation by the department’s Major Crimes Investigative Unit.
The case dates back to April 29, 2024, when deputies responded to an overdose call on Laurel Knoll Drive in Pleasant Garden. Guilford County EMS pronounced 41-year-old Roger Lee Brown Jr. dead while crews were on the way to the home, according to the release.
Investigators have charged Brown with felony death by distribution. He is being held in the Guilford County Detention Center in Greensboro under a $100,000 secured bond. His first court appearance is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective J. Allen at 336-641-2799 or submit an anonymous tip through Guilford County Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000.Close Ad
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Raleigh police arrested mother Vinus Humphreys and her boyfriend Tyrone Bannerman on felony child abuse charges after her twin 22-month-old children were exposed to fentanyl inside their apartment.
Raleigh police arrested a mother and her boyfriend for child abuse after they said her twin toddlers were exposed to fentanyl inside their apartment.
Vinus Humphreys, 25, and Tyrone Bannerman, 28, are both facing two counts of felony child abuse. Raleigh police responded after 8 p.m. Monday to a home on Lake Hills Drive to a report of an unresponsive child.
EMS was already on scene providing medical aid to a 22-month-old child when, shortly after, the child’s twin also became unresponsive.
First responders administered Narcan to both children and took them to the hospital for further treatment. Their condition is considered stable and are expected to survive.
Narcan is is a medicine that can help people who are overdosing on an opioid.
Raleigh police found drugs, drug paraphernalia and a firearm inside the home, resulting in more charges for Bannerman, including:
Trafficking opium/heroin
Manufacturer of Schedule II controlled substance
Misdemeanor possession of marijuana
The incident raised concerns for Barb Walsh, the executive director of the Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina. The number of children younger than the age of 5 dying from fentanyl is on the rise. According to the North Carolina Office of the Medical Examiner, 29 children younger than 5 year old died from fentanyl between 2017 and 2022, with 72% of those deaths occurring in 2021 and 2022.
“It breaks my heart,” Walsh said. “I hate to use the word overdosing with a two-year-old because they didn’t know what they were taking.”
Walsh lost her 24-year-old daughter in 2021 to an unintentional fentanyl exposure when a toxic amount of it was in a water bottle. It’s why she’s so involved in advocating for change so other families don’t have to experience this pain.
“We’re making progress,” Walsh said. “That’s all we can hope for.”
Earlier this year, Gov. Josh Stein signed a new law creating new criminal offenses for exposing a child to a controlled substance.
Walsh said it goes much further than the laws in place now.
“They get child abuse or child neglect,” Walsh said. “The new law will be a felony even if they ingest it and are OK. That will save someone else’s life.”
Walsh said the new law is a lot more specific compared to the broader charge of child abuse. However, Humphreys and Bannerman won’t be charged under the new law. While Stein signed it into law in July, it won’t become effective until Dec. 1, which is exactly four weeks after Humphreys’ twins were exposed to fentanyl.
“People who endanger a child with a harmful substance like fentanyl should be held accountable for their actions,” Walsh said. “It will lead to lives being saved. That’s the goal. We want lives saved.”
Humphreys and Bannerman are due in court for their first appearances Wednesday afternoon in Wake County. Authorities are holding both of them without bond.
CARTERET COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) – After losing her 26-year-old son, Tyler Dees, to fentanyl in 2022, Annie Brown of Carteret County has turned unimaginable grief into a powerful mission of hope and healing for others battling addiction.
Dees, a Carteret County native, was known for his love of fishing, making lures, and spending time with friends and family. His mother says his death came after years of struggling with mental health issues.
“I got the call the next day from his dad that he was gone,” Brown said. “I knew he was going to pass away before I moved back from California, I just didn’t know it would happen right before the holidays. He’s at peace right now with all the demons he was battling. He was diagnosed at a very early age with depression.”
Brown says her son’s death was not an isolated tragedy.
