Antoine Durel Reid, a 39-year-old resident of Catawba, North Carolina, has been sentenced to ten years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine. The announcement was made by Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
The case involved collaboration between several law enforcement agencies. Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division; Sheriff Donald G. Brown II of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Reed Baer of the Hickory Police Department joined U.S. Attorney King in making the announcement.
Court documents revealed that Reid's drug trafficking activities were under investigation in Catawba County. On February 22, 2022, during surveillance operations, law enforcement officers observed Reid entering a vehicle with an expired license plate and conducted a traffic stop. A search revealed a black backpack containing a Smith and Wesson SD9 VE 9mm pistol with ammunition, nearly half a kilogram of methamphetamine, over 260 grams of fentanyl packaged in Ziploc bags, three digital scales, and $1,590.
Further incidents involving Reid occurred on July 21, 2023. Officers responded to an assault call at a gas station in Hickory where an individual had brandished a pistol. Video footage identified Reid as the assailant leading to his arrest warrant issuance. The following day officers found him outside an SUV with another person at his last known address. A search uncovered narcotics and a black Taurus G2C 9mm handgun matching the one seen on security footage.
Reid pleaded guilty on August 8, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. He remains in federal custody awaiting transfer to a designated federal facility.
U.S. Attorney King expressed gratitude towards the ATF, Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, and Hickory Police Department for their efforts in investigating this case.
Assistant United States Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted this case.