Rahkim T. Franklin, Fentanyl Trafficking, North Carolina 2024

Rahkim T. Franklin, 31, of Charlotte, North Carolina, is facing federal charges for allegedly leading a fentanyl pill trafficking operation in the western part of the state.

According to court documents, Franklin was the leader of a drug operation that manufactured and distributed large quantities of fentanyl pills in and around Mecklenburg county from November 2022 to March 2024. The operation utilized a house in Charlotte as the pill press operation.

On March 7, 2024, investigators executed a federal search warrant at the house, where they seized an electric pill press, more than 500 grams of vacuum-sealed fentanyl, nearly 1,000 fentanyl tablets, over 30 pounds of fentanyl mixed with suspected pill binder, and other material and paraphernalia consistent with the production of fentanyl pills.

The investigation revealed that Franklin and his co-conspirators were manufacturing the fentanyl pills to appear to be prescription Oxycodone pills based on their color and imprint.

Franklin was remanded into custody after a court hearing and faces charges of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of up to life in prison.

The ATF, the SBI, and the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence Cameron and Tom Kent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuting the case.

Franklin, 31, of Charlotte, is accused of leading a fentanyl pill trafficking operation in Mecklenburg county from November 2022 to March 2024. The operation manufactured and distributed large quantities of fentanyl pills, with investigators seizing over 500 grams of the substance during a search of a house in Charlotte on March 7, 2024.

The investigation into Franklin’s operation is ongoing, with the defendant currently being held in custody. The charges against Franklin are allegations, and he is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.