Fentanyl Trafficker Gets 15‑Year Federal Sentence

RALEIGH, N.C. - A federal judge sentenced Keavin Jawahn Thompson, 42, to 15 and a half years in federal prison for selling large quantities of fentanyl throughout the Eastern District of North Carolina. On January 29, 2026, Thompson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of para-fluorofentanyl. Para-fluorofentanyl is similar to fentanyl but is highly potent and is a significant contributor to overdose deaths in the United States.

"This Big Shark Bad Boy drug pusher will no longer sling poison that ruins so many lives of Eastern North Carolinians," said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. "Here is a stark warning, we will put you in prison for decades. Simple Lesson: Drugs Kill, Prison Awaits - Do Right." said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle."

Thompson was identified in early 2020 as a large-scale fentanyl trafficker operating across eastern North Carolina. In 2022, federal and local law enforcement conducted five purchases of fentanyl from Thompson. After these purchases, investigators executed search warrants at two Fayetteville homes used as drug stash houses. Inside, they recovered 840 grams of fentanyl, 642 grams of para-fluorofentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, and meth, along with packaging materials, a digital scale, and a cutting agent used to prepare narcotics for distribution. Through the investigation, law enforcement determined Thompson had trafficked over 48 pounds of fentanyl between 2019 and his arrest on August 22, 2022.

"This sentence stresses the strength of our federal and state partnerships in dismantling trafficking networks that are flooding North Carolina with fentanyl," said Mark M. Zito, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Carolinas. "Through close collaboration with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, the Robeson County Sheriff's Office, the Fayetteville Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney's Office, HSI is unwavering in its commitment to pursue those who threaten the safety of our communities with illicit narcotics."

"Drug trafficking poses a double threat to our communities," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. "Illegal narcotics destroy lives and the violence associated with drug trafficking wreaks communities. ATF is proud of the work the Homeland Security Task Force is accomplishing, and we remain committed to the goal of keeping our neighborhoods safe."

This prosecution is part of Operation Eight Ball, a component of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) established under Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government initiative committed to dismantling criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in the United States and abroad. Through unprecedented interagency coordination, the HSTF directs federal law enforcement resources to investigate and prosecute the broad spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations. The HSTF places a particular emphasis on targeting offenders involved in crimes against children and uses all available legal authorities to identify, prosecute, and remove violent criminal aliens from the United States.

W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement following sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, Robeson County Sheriff's Office, Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, and Fayetteville Police Department investigated the case.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North CarolinaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. or on PACERLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-125-D-KS-1.