Wilmington man sentenced for trafficking fentanyl – News – Wilmington Star News

John Laws, 50, will serve minimum of nearly 6 years in prison

WILMINGTON — A Wilmington man who trafficked opioids here and in Winston-Salem pleaded guilty Monday.

John Laws, 50, pleaded guilty in New Hanover County Superior Court to one count of trafficking opiates by transportation. Judge J. Stanley Carmical of Robeson County sentenced Laws to between just under 6 years and nearly 8 years in prison — the state’s minimum and maximum sentences for the crime.

According to a news release from the New Hanover County District Attorney’s office, Laws will also have to pay a $50,000 fine.

In March 2018, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office narcotics detectives learned that Laws was selling drugs out of his Wrightsville Avenue home, the release states. Detectives followed Laws to Winston-Salem, where they reportedly witnessed him make a hand-to-hand drug transaction.

The detectives followed Laws back to Wilmington, then stopped his car and served him with outstanding orders for his arrest for unrelated charges of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and resisting public officer.

During the traffic stop, the release states, detectives found 7.73 grams of fentanyl, 1.34 grams of cocaine, and $1,091 in cash on Laws’ person.

“Fentanyl is an extremely dangerous opiate that we consistently see combined with heroin or other narcotics in overdose deaths throughout our community,” the release quoted Assistant District Attorney Brad Matthews. “The Sheriff’s Office should be commended for keeping such a large quantity of this dangerous drug off the streets of New Hanover County.”

Reporter Cammie Bellamy can be reached at 910-343-2339 or Cammie.Bellamy@StarNewsOnline.com.