Halifax County Felon Sentenced for Possessing and Selling Fentanyl

New Bern, N.C. - A federal judge sentenced Lorenizo Reshaud Simmons, 33, to over 6 years in federal prison for possession with intent to sell over 40 grams of fentanyl.

"Fentanyl kills kids. This repeat offender should have learned his lesson before, but he returned to this shameful exploitation of his own community. We should all join together in our close-knit Eastern North Carolina communities to reject this evil and keep our families together. Simple lesson: drugs kill, prison awaits: Do right." said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.

Inmate Simmons sold fentanyl in Halifax County from a residence he used to store and package his drugs. In August 2022, Halifax County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) launched an investigation into Inmate Simmons' conduct after receiving complaints of drug activity in Garysburg, North Carolina. HCSO, with the assistance of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), conducted three controlled buys of fentanyl from Inmate Simmons. On May 4, 2023, HCSO and Northampton County Sheriff's Office (NCSO) executed a search warrant at Inmate Simmons' house finding over 300 grams of a fentanyl analogue, 90 milligrams of morphine, a digital scale, extended gun magazines, hundreds of bullets, and other drug paraphernalia to include needles and syringes.

Inmate Simmons is a convicted felon, most recently for selling opiates and possession of oxycodone in 2018.

Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan announced the sentence. The HCSO, SBI, and the Northampton County Sheriff's Office investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Dixon prosecuted 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. 4:25-CR-9-FL.