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

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 death by overdose.

United States 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 the supervised release include 50 hours of community service aimed at educating youth about the dangers of fentanyl.

WHITE reported on November 13, 2023, Jones faced five federal charges, including distribution resulting in death, three charges of distribution of fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

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

“We will swiftly bring justice to anyone trafficking counterfeit pills containing deadly fentanyl, especially when their poison claims the life of one of our neighbors,” Easley said. “The North Carolina Sheriffs are prioritizing overdose death investigations like never before and have a direct line to my office to prosecute them. Our team has trained law enforcement agencies across the District on how to build airtight cases to secure strong sentences in federal court. Our sheriffs are doing everything they can to get justice for the victims and keep North Carolina safe.”

“The sentencing of Dylan Jones is a critical step in our ongoing fight against the devastating impact of drug overdose deaths,” said Duplin County Sheriff Stratton Stokes. “We stand firm in our pursuit of justice for the victims and their families. I would like to commend our exceptional team for their continued dedication and professionalism in building this challenging business. Together we are taking steps towards a safer community.”

The FBI says on July 22, 2022, Duplin County officers were called to a home in Teachey about a deceased man. A toxicology report confirmed he died of fentanyl poisoning.

Law enforcement analyzed the victim’s cell phone and discovered that he had been given pills by someone using a Snapchat account linked to Jones. GPS activity from the man’s phone and Jones’ phone showed they had 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 controlled purchase.

When he was arrested, authorities say Jones had a gun and in his car they found a handgun loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition, fentanyl and more than $1,600 in cash.