Norman Wayne Harrison, Heroin and Fentanyl Distribution, Virginia 2020

Norman Wayne Harrison, a 34-year-old Roanoke-area heroin dealer, has been sentenced to 126 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to distributing heroin and fentanyl-laced heroin to confidential informants.

According to court documents, Harrison sold a confidential informant 58.74 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl on December 1, 2020. Two weeks later, on December 18, 2020, using a female companion, Harrison sold 3.622 grams of heroin to a different informant.

During their investigation, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for an apartment in Roanoke connected to Harrison and seized four firearms, approximately $55,000 in U.S. Currency, and two vehicles used to facilitate his drug trafficking. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Virginia State Police, and members of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (HIDTA), including the Roanoke City, Roanoke County, and Salem Police Departments, participated in the investigation.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Coleman Adams prosecuted the case, which involved over 250 combined grams of heroin and fentanyl seized from Harrison.

Norman Wayne Harrison’s sentence is a significant blow to the heroin and fentanyl trade in the Roanoke area, and Grimy Times commends the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation for their hard work and dedication to keeping our communities safe.

The sentence sends a strong message that those who engage in heroin and fentanyl distribution will face severe consequences, and we hope it will serve as a deterrent to others who may be considering similar crimes.

As we continue to report on the struggles of the opioid epidemic in our region, it is clear that law enforcement agencies and community organizations must work together to address this complex issue.

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