Ryan Rudy Elledge, a 30-year-old resident of Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, has been sentenced to seven years in prison and four years of supervised release for distributing fentanyl. This announcement was made by Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Joining U.S. Attorney King in the announcement were 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 Tyler Whisenant of the Maiden Police Department.
The investigation into Elledge's activities began in January 2023 when law enforcement suspected him of distributing fentanyl around Catawba County. A search warrant executed at his residence on February 17, 2023, led to the seizure of more than 71 grams of fentanyl and over $21,000 in cash.
A second investigation commenced in February 2024 after authorities learned that Elledge had resumed selling drugs from his home in Newton, N.C. On February 22, a confidential informant purchased fentanyl and other narcotics from him. The following day, another search warrant was executed at his residence where officers seized fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Court records indicate that Elledge admitted to distributing more than a kilogram of fentanyl and over 200 grams of methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty on August 20, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl as well as possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
U.S. Attorney King expressed gratitude towards the ATF, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, and the Maiden Police Department for their work on this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa prosecuted the case out of Charlotte.