RALEIGH, N.C. – In a relentless crackdown on fentanyl trafficking, Joshua Vines, a 40-year-old Raleigh man, has been sentenced to over eight years in federal prison for distributing massive quantities of the deadly substance across Eastern North Carolina.
Vines, who admitted to conspiring to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl, pleaded guilty earlier this year. His downfall began on October 25, 2023, when Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents were conducting surveillance in Elizabeth City. They observed a vehicle linked to co-defendant Nigel Gray parked outside a Dollar General store. The vehicle was later stopped by law enforcement in Nashville, NC.
During the stop, Vines attempted to contact Gray to retrieve the car’s registration information. However, a trained K-9 alerted officers to the presence of illegal substances. Inside, they found 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl-laden pills and an additional kilogram of fentanyl powder, totaling tens of thousands of doses. The drugs were intended for distribution in the Raleigh area.
Vines has a notorious criminal history, with previous felony convictions for discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle, trafficking heroin, and cocaine by transportation. His co-defendants, Nigel Gray and Omar Cardenas, have already been sentenced in federal court for their roles in the conspiracy.
Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar announced the sentencing after it was handed down by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The case involved extensive collaboration between HSI, the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, and local law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Severo and Katherine Englander prosecuted the case.
For more information on this high-profile drug trafficking case, visit the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or search PACER using Case No. 5:24-CR-00076.
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Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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