Justin Lamont Day, Fentanyl Trafficking, North Carolina 2026

Five individuals are facing federal drug trafficking and firearms charges following a joint investigation by the FBI and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department into alleged narcotics activity at The Garden Inn & Suites in Charlotte's Sugar Creek corridor.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - April 29, 2026 - Justin Lamont Day, 29, is charged with distribution of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He was arrested during an early morning law enforcement operation.

According to the indictment, Day is accused of distributing fentanyl, a highly addictive and deadly synthetic opioid, in the Charlotte area. The indictment also alleges that Day possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and that he is a convicted felon prohibited from possessing a firearm.

The investigation, led by the FBI and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, involved surveillance, undercover work, controlled drug buys, and other investigative techniques. Law enforcement agents seized fentanyl, cocaine base, and other narcotics, as well as illegal firearms during the investigation.

"Let this be a message to hotel and business owners who knowingly put profits above the safety of the community," said US Attorney Russ Ferguson. "My office will not hesitate to seize properties that serve as hubs of crime."

Justin Lamont Day is currently being held in federal custody pending a detention hearing.

The U.S. Attorney's Office filed a civil forfeiture action seeking the forfeiture of the Garden Inn, alleging the property was a site of - and facilitated - significant illegal drug trafficking.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc/pr/five-charged-following-six-month-drug-trafficking-investigation-us-attorneys-office