FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Today, U.S. Attorney Michael Easley, along with federal and local law enforcement, announced ongoing and coordinated efforts to address violent crime and drug trafficking in Fayetteville and surrounding areas. This effort was conducted as part of two strategic initiatives underway in the region: the Violent Crime Action...

NEW BERN, N.C. – A three-judge panel from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a unanimous, published opinion affirming former physician Jong Whan Kim’s conviction and sentence for operating a pill mill in Tabor City. The Fourth Circuit’s decision was the first published opinion by the Court upholding a...

TAMPA , F la. – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that a federal jury found Dr. Qing McGaha guilty of 14 counts of unlawful drug distribution, four (4) counts of money laundering, and one (1) count of filing a false tax return. McGaha faces a maximum penalty of...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In excess of 50 individuals have been arrested on warrants related to drug-trafficking as part of a long-term investigation conducted by Drug Enforcement Administration, local, and state law enforcement. The arrests were announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. “I...

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Dr. Mark S.T. Armitage, a physician practicing with Pelican Family Medicine in Wilmington, North Carolina, agreed to pay $170,000 to resolve alleged violations of the Controlled Substances Act. Dr. Armitage, who previously surrendered his Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration to prescribe controlled substances, further agreed not to...

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – A Beulaville man was sentenced today to 200 months in prison for conspiracy and distribution of cocaine base (crack) and fentanyl. Four people died from overdoses after consuming drugs sold by Marshall Ray Scarborough on a single day in April 2021. Scarborough was also ordered to...

OCALA, Fla. – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Uriel Fajardo-Albarran (28, Coleman) to 23 years in federal prison. A federal jury previously convicted Fajardo-Albarran of conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and three other drug distribution counts on January 6, 2023. According to...

ORLANDO, Fla. - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that Robert J. Potocnack (42, St. Cloud) has pleaded guilty to one count of possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking...

RALEIGH, N.C. – A former Fuquay-Varina nurse was sentenced today to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release for tampering with painkillers intended for surgery patients. On March 9, 2022, Melissa Elizabeth Chacona pled guilty to the charges. “Surgical patients trust healthcare providers to give them the...

RALEIGH, N.C. – Today, U.S. Attorney Michael Easley, along with federal and local law enforcement, provided information related to ongoing and coordinated efforts to target drug distribution in Sampson and Duplin Counties. Last week, a joint operation took place with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the...