Drug dealer used man’s death to advertise potency of drugs he sold in Facebook group, DOJ says
By Stephanie Moore
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RUTHERFORDTON, North Carolina (WYFF) — A North Carolina drug dealer used a man’s death to market the potency of his drugs in a private Facebook group for recovering heroin addicts, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.
James Adam Earwood, 39, of Rutherfordton, was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of distribution of a controlled substance, heroin and fentanyl, causing the death of a Dubuque, Iowa, man who overdosed.
The United States Attorney’s Office said that evidence introduced at trial and sentencing showed that on Nov. 18, 2021, Earwood mailed a package of heroin and fentanyl to the victim. Earwood was living in North Carolina at the time and the victim was living in Dubuque.
The AG’s office said the victim used the heroin and fentanyl and overdosed in the parking lot of a local business.
The victim survived the overdose. One month later, on Dec. 17, 2021, the victim received another package of heroin and fentanyl in the mail from Earwood, the AG’s office said. The victim used the heroin and fentanyl and died shortly thereafter. He was found deceased by hotel staff in a hotel in Dubuque.
Authorities say the investigation showed that Earwood operated what he deemed to be a business selling fentanyl for at least a year. They said the business had a name, which he marketed, and even included the business’s logo in packages of fentanyl that he sold. Earwood marketed his product to a private Facebook group for recovering heroin addicts.
He asked his customers to leave positive reviews of his products, according to investigators. They said Earwood bragged about the quality of his product and even used the victim’s death to show how strong his product was.
He would ship his product nationwide using the US Postal Service or would leave the product for local customers in discreet locations so the customer could later find it.
Earwood was sentenced to 365 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
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