Charlton Townsend, Armed Fentanyl Trafficking, North Carolina 2024
A 29-year-old Lumberton man has been sentenced to over 12 years in prison for his role in an armed fentanyl trafficking operation in North Carolina.
Charlton Townsend, 29, was sentenced to 150 months in prison on May 22, 2024, for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, Townsend was selling drugs from his residence in Fairmont, North Carolina, in February 2022. The Fairmont Police Department (FPD) and the Robeson County Sheriff's Office received multiple complaints about Townsend's activities and utilized a confidential informant to make a controlled purchase of fentanyl from him.
On March 7, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Townsend's residence, where they found a loaded 9mm semiautomatic gun on the ground next to him. The search also resulted in the seizure of cocaine base (crack), cocaine, fentanyl, a sawed-off shotgun, a stolen .223/.556 AR-style pistol, a .40 caliber semi-automatic firearm, and more than $6000 in cash.
Townsend was arrested on the same day as the search and has now been sentenced for his crimes. The Fairmont Police Department, the Robeson County Sheriff's Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case, with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Gainer prosecuting the case.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III.
Mandatory Facts: Defendant: Charlton Townsend; Crimes: conspiracy with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; City and State: Lumberton, North Carolina; Exact Date: May 22, 2024 (sentencing); Sentence: 150 months in prison; Dollar Amount: over $6000 in cash.
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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