Overdose death gets armed Snapchat fentanyl trafficker in Wayne County nearly 13 years in prison

NEW BERN, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Wayne County man was sentenced on Thursday to 155 months in prison -- nearly 13 years -- and five years of supervised release for armed trafficking of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl after a person died of an overdose in July 2022.

The judge also ordered that Dylan Alexander Jones' supervised release include at least 50 hours of community service focused on educating youth about the dangers of fentanyl.

Jones, 24, pled guilty on April 11 to one count of distribution of fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

"We are bringing swift justice against anyone trafficking counterfeit pills laced with deadly fentanyl, especially when their poison claims one our neighbor's lives," said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. "North Carolina's 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 across the district on building airtight cases to secure firm sentences in federal court. Our Sheriffs are going the distance to get justice for victims and keep North Carolina safe."

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Duplin County deputies responded to a 911 call on July 22, 2022, about an unresponsive man at a home in Teachey.

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The victim was pronounced dead at the scene and a post-mortem toxicology report confirmed the presence of fentanyl in his system. The cause of death was determined to be fentanyl toxicity.

Investigators who looked at the victim's phone found that the man had received pills from a person using a Snapchat account associated with Jones. GPS data from the victim's phone and Jones' phone show that they met at a rest area in Warsaw just hours before his death.

Undercover officers made three purchases from Jones between September 2022 and November 2022. All of the pills bought from Jones contained fentanyl.

At the third and final buy, law enforcement officers arrested Jones. They found a handgun on him and a loaded 9mm pistol in his car along with 16 rounds of ammunition, fentanyl and about $1,600 in cash.

"The sentencing of Dylan Jones is a pivotal step in our ongoing fight against the devastating impact of drug overdose deaths," said Duplin County Sheriff Stratton Stokes. "We stand firm in our commitment to justice for the victims and their families. I want to commend our exceptional team for their relentless dedication and professionalism in building this challenging case. Together, we are making strides toward a safer community."