George McNeill, Armed Fentanyl and Cocaine Distribution, North Carolina 2023

A Charlotte, North Carolina man has been sentenced to 7.5 years in prison for his role in a fentanyl and cocaine distribution ring.

George McNeill, 32, was sentenced on April 11, 2023 to 90 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

According to court documents, McNeill was a fentanyl and cocaine trafficker in the Charlotte area. In September 2021, law enforcement learned of McNeill's activities and arranged a meeting with him to buy narcotics. When McNeill arrived in his vehicle at the agreed-upon location, law enforcement moved in to detain him. McNeill sped away from the scene to evade arrest, crashing his vehicle in the process. He then attempted to flee on foot before being apprehended after a brief foot chase.

During the search of McNeill's vehicle, law enforcement recovered fentanyl, cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and $2,160 in cash. A firearm loaded with six rounds of ammunition was also found tucked beneath the center console arm rest. McNeill has multiple prior state convictions for drug trafficking.

McNeill pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine on April 11, 2023. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

U.S. Attorney King credited the Western District's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigative efforts.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor G. Stout of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc/pr/armed-fentanyl-and-cocaine-dealer-sentenced-75-years