Mount Olive man sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison after overdose death

NEW BERN, N.C. (WITN) – An Eastern Carolina man has been sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison for trafficking a counterfeit pill laced with fentanyl, resulting in a fatal overdose.

U.S. Attorney Michael Easley said 24-year-old Dylan Jones was sentenced to 12 years, 11 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

The judge also ordered that supervised release include 50 hours of community service educating the youth about the dangers of fentanyl.

WITN reported on November 13, 2023 that five federal charges were filed against Jones, including distribution resulting in death, three counts of distribution of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Jones pleaded guilty April 11 to one count of distribution of fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm.

“We seek swift justice against anyone who trafficks in counterfeit pills laced with deadly fentanyl, especially when their poison claims the life of one of our neighbors,” Easley said. “North Carolina sheriffs are prioritizing overdose death investigations like never before and have a direct line to my office for prosecution. Our team has trained law enforcement agencies throughout the county to build strong cases to secure safe sentences in federal court. Our sheriffs are doing everything they can to bring justice to the victims and keep North Carolina safe.”

“The conviction of Dylan Jones is a critical step in our ongoing fight to end the devastating impact of drug overdose deaths,” said Duplin County Sheriff Stratton Stokes. “We remain committed to our commitment to justice for the victims and their families. I would like to thank our exceptional team for their tireless efforts and professionalism in handling this challenging case. Together we are making progress toward a safer community.”

Federal authorities say on July 22, 2022, Duplin County officers were called to a home in Teachey regarding a deceased man. A toxicology report confirmed he died from fentanyl poisoning.

Law enforcement analyzed the victim's cell phone and found that he had received pills from someone using a Snapchat account associated with Jones. GPS activity from the man's phone and Jones' phone showed they met at a restaurant in Warsaw hours before the man's death.

They say authorities made three controlled purchases from Jones between September 2022 and November 2022. All of the pills purchased from Jones contained fentanyl.

The man was arrested after the third checkout.

When he was arrested, authorities said Jones had a handgun on him and a handgun with 16 rounds of ammunition, fentanyl and over $1,600 in cash was found in his car.

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