A Charlotte man, Kinte Fisher, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for distributing large quantities of cocaine from Charlotte to Wilmington over a period spanning early 2017 to July 2022. The sentencing took place on Tuesday following Fisher's guilty plea on November 5, 2024, to the charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
The investigation into Fisher's activities was conducted by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Wilmington Police Department (WPD). It revealed that Fisher used a "stash house" in Wilmington as a base for his drug trafficking operations. Fisher reportedly transported narcotics under the guise of family visits and supervised several accomplices, including his girlfriend. He also utilized the United States Postal Service to mail packages containing drugs. Over five years, Fisher distributed at least sixty-two kilograms of cocaine.
On July 25, 2022, surveillance identified Fisher traveling back to Wilmington. Agents observed him entering his stash house with a backpack and later discarding plastic wrap that tested positive for cocaine residue. When law enforcement attempted a traffic stop, Fisher fled at high speed through Wilmington before abandoning his car and fleeing on foot. He was apprehended at the Wilmington Riverwalk after discarding his cellphone into the river. A search of his stash house yielded approximately 340 grams of cocaine along with scales and packaging materials.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation aimed at dismantling major drug traffickers and criminal organizations using a coordinated approach involving multiple agencies.
The announcement came from Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, following sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The FBI, WPD, and New Hanover County Sheriff's Office conducted the investigation while Assistant U.S. Attorney Logan Liles prosecuted the case.
Further information is available on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or via PACER by searching Case No. 7:22-CR-101-D-1.