A Jacksonville man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for the simultaneous sale of drugs and firearms in New Bern and Jacksonville, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Fan Troy Staton, 50, was convicted for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, alongside distribution charges and possession of a firearm by a felon.
U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. was quoted in the
press release
emphasizing the intersection of drug trafficking and gun violence, stating, “Drug trafficking and guns go hand in hand,” and detailing Staton’s particular crimes of dealing guns with fentanyl, including a fifty-caliber rifle, “We can’t let armed drug traffickers roam our streets and aren’t letting up in our support for local communities fighting drugs and violence that has claimed far too many lives.”
Craven County Sheriff Chip Hughes highlighted the collaborative effort behind Staton’s prosecution, “This prosecution by U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley’s Office, working with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners represents another successful example of removing a criminal drug and firearms dealer from Eastern North Carolina and sends a strong message for those who chose to engage in illegal activities,” a unity signaling that consequences await those swayed by the illicit lure of the drug trade and illegal firearms sales.
During the court proceedings, it emerged that Staton had sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to a confidential informant on, including firearms, multiple times in 2021 an operation that spanned several months and proved his continuous involvement in drug and arms trade; on one occasion, he parted with about 14 grams of fentanyl along with a .50 caliber rifle, and on another, 23 grams of methamphetamine, five grams of fentanyl, and a 12-gauge shotgun, as detailed in court documents and presented in court.
The investigations leading to Staton’s arrest and conviction were conducted by multiple agencies, including the New Bern Police Department, Craven County Sheriff’s Office, Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, Naval Criminal Investigation Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Upon being sentenced by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan, this conclusion marks yet another stride in the concentrated effort to stifle the menacing twin threats posed by drug proliferation and gun violence within the community.
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