Five Carteret County residents convicted on drug and fraud charges

Carteret County, North Carolina – Five defendants in Carteret County were sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges, according to a news release.

The announcement was made Thursday, Oct. 24, by District Attorney Scott Thomas.

Those convicted include 50-year-old Lord Justice, formerly known as Ron Wilson, 39-year-old Perry Fisher, 47-year-old Milton Williams, 29-year-old Kuwain Green and 62-year-old Christopher Husted.

Records show the Beaufort judge entered a guilty plea to fentanyl trafficking and will serve a sentence of up to 7.5 years in the Adult Corrections Division. He was also fined $100,000. Officials say investigators with the Carteret County Sheriff's Office conducted a controlled undercover buy from Justice as early as November 13, 2023. The 50-year-old was arrested two days later during a traffic stop for an unrelated drug transaction. The investigation led to the seizure of 4.03 grams of fentanyl.

According to the documents, Fisher, a Newport resident, pleaded guilty to two counts of cocaine trafficking. He was sentenced to two active sentences totaling 70 to 102 months in prison. Fisher was also fined $100,000. This verdict came after investigators carried out two controlled purchases in which 110.44 grams of narcotics were confiscated.

Williams, another Newport resident, also pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking. He will spend up to 12 years in the Adult Corrections Department after being sentenced to two consecutive active prison terms. Williams was also fined $150,000. According to the press release, investigators conducted a controlled purchase from both Williams and his co-defendant Green in February 2023, during which 29.91 grams of cocaine were taken. Based on the tracking device attached to his vehicle, investigators later determined that he was about to leave the county. He was stopped and police seized 396 grams of cocaine.

Records also show Green, who lives in Newport, was sentenced to 35 to 51 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of cocaine trafficking and cocaine sales. In addition, he was sentenced to a suspended sentence of 17 to 30 months, which would last until the end of his sentence, including a $50,000 fine. Officials say in addition to the controlled purchase conducted by Carteret County detectives, they also previously made a controlled purchase of cocaine from Green in January 2023 that was of a non-illegal amount.

Christopher Husted, 62, was sentenced by the Department of Adult Correction after pleading guilty to 11 counts of obtaining property by false pretenses. He will serve between 56 and 133 months in prison. Documents show Husted's case involved nine separate incidents in which he received deposits to complete home construction repairs but failed to complete the work or completed minimal work. The press release also states that he failed to provide materials he claimed to have purchased. In the other two cases, he received large cash payments to purchase homes that he was not authorized to sell. A total of $259,395.83 was collected in the 11 cases.

The Carteret County Sheriff's Office and the City of Morehead Police Department investigated all five cases.