An armed Lumberton fentanyl trafficker was sentenced Wednesday (today) to 150 months in prison.
The U.S. District Attorney’s Office said Charlton Townsend, 29, pled guilty on May 22 to one count of conspiracy with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, in February 2022 the Fairmont Police Department (FPD) and the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office received multiple complaints about Townsend selling drugs from his residence in Fairmont. As a result, the FPD utilized a confidential informant to make a controlled purchase of fentanyl from Townsend.
On March 7, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Townsend’s residence. Townsend, who was present at the time, was verbally combative with officers and had to be secured in a patrol vehicle.
Prior to his being detained, officers found a loaded 9 mm semiautomatic gun on the ground next to Townsend. The search of the home resulted in the seizure of cocaine base (crack), cocaine, fentanyl, a sawed-off shotgun, a stolen 5.56 mm AR-style pistol, a .40 caliber semi-automatic firearm and more than $6,000 in cash. Townsend was taken into custody and charged.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III.
The Fairmont Police Department, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Gainer prosecuted the case.
