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Jacksonville sex offender and drug trafficker gets 10 years in prison

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – An Eastern Carolina man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for drug charges and failure to register as a sex offender.

According to U.S. Attorney Michael Easley, Roy Cox of Jacksonville, Florida, was convicted of a sex offense and failed to register as a sex offender in North Carolina when he moved here.

Court documents also show the 37-year-old was selling cocaine in the Jacksonville area. The Onslow County Sheriff's Office also received information that Cox was involved in transporting drugs from Florida to Eastern Carolina.

According to Easley, law enforcement made three controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Cox in May 2023. In June, law enforcement discovered that Cox was traveling back to Jacksonville from Florida. On June 4, they arrested Cox at his home. They also found cocaine in the car in which he was a passenger.

Cox was charged with three counts of distribution of crack cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and one count of failure to register as a sex offender.

Earlier this year, Cox pleaded guilty to drug charges and failing to register as a sex offender.