Two men face drug and robbery charges after five people were killed in Sampson County in 2023

Two Sampson County men face federal charges in the Oct. 25, 2023, killings of five people in Clinton.

Sampson County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton said the killings were the result of a targeted drug-related shooting. The shooting occurred at a home on US Highway 701 (Garland Highway).

Nearly a year later, a federal grand jury indicted 31-year-old Robert Williams and 35-year-old Derek George on drug distribution and robbery charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. The indictment dated August 27, 2024 states that the group was robbed and then a firearm was fired, resulting in the murders.

The Aug. 27, 2024, indictment alleges possession of a firearm in furtherance of the drug and robbery charges and the firearm was discharged, resulting in the deaths of five victims.

Williams and George are each charged with:

• Conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (crack).
• Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery*
• Hobbs Act Robbery*
• Discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime

*The Hobbs Act is a federal law that defines robbery as the unlawful taking or receipt of personal property from another person against his or her will using actual or threatened force.

Williams also faces one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

In November, Williams was arrested for a probation violation. Officers searched his home nearby Clinton and found three cell phones, a loaded handgun, a magazine, two digital scales, marijuana and a black .22 caliber Remington rifle.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, George was arrested in August following the indictment. If convicted, Williams and George face life in prison or the death penalty.

A third person has been charged with illegal weapons possession but is not currently facing charges in connection with the killings, officials said.

The Sampson County home was reportedly being used for illegal drug sales. Weeks after the shooting, the Sampson County Sheriff's Office enlisted the officer's help SBI and the FBI are trying to find out who killed the five people, ages 33 to 73:

• Alfonza Jeffers, 73, of Clinton
• Dagoberto Lopez, 33, of Garland
• Lamar Williams, 58, of Rose Hill
• Hector Salazar Lopez, 39, of Garland
• Jamie Lynn Rowland, 47, of Clinton

U.S. District Attorney Michael Easley Jr. said it was the citizens of Sampson County who spoke out.

“This case was driven forward by tips from concerned citizens who shared what they saw,” Easley said. “In this case, a combination of old-fashioned police work and community tips led to the identification and eventual arrest of those who allegedly caused this violent act.”

Thornton spoke about the crimes Wednesday following Easley's comments.

“It's very rare for five people to be killed in one home, especially in rural eastern North Carolina,” Thornton said. “Nothing like this has ever happened to us before… it sent shockwaves throughout our entire county. I can’t imagine how everyone in the area felt on that special night.”

Thornton said another person was killed that same night just five miles from Clinton's home.

“At that point, everyone was very afraid that there was a murderer on the loose,” Thornton said.

Back in October 2023, a man who knew the victims said he went to the house to check on them and discovered the bodies. He had spoken to one of the victims around 11 p.m. and returned to the house around 11:41 p.m., where he found them all shot and called 911.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the crimes is asked to call the Sampson County Sheriff's Office at 910-592-4141 or the FBI.