Kevin Johnson, a 43-year-old resident of Durham, North Carolina, was sentenced on February 23, 2026, to over 17 years in federal prison for felony drug offenses involving cocaine and fentanyl. Johnson had previously pleaded guilty in October 2025 to charges including conspiracy to distribute both drugs, as well as separate counts for distributing cocaine and fentanyl.
Court documents revealed that Johnson sold cocaine and fentanyl in Durham. Early in 2025, he received one kilogram of fentanyl for distribution. He later purchased two more kilograms of fentanyl that were intercepted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) during a search of a tractor-trailer truck in May 2025. During this operation, agents also recovered twenty kilograms of cocaine intended for another conspirator. Johnson had worked at Bull City United between June 2023 and January 2024.
Dan Bishop, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, announced the sentencing and acknowledged the efforts of the FBI and partner agencies involved in the investigation. Bishop stated: “Kevin Johnson held himself out as someone who cared about his community but then sold poison in that same community. We will continue to address the scourge of fentanyl through federal prosecution.”
The case is part of an initiative led by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), created under Executive Order 14159: Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF brings together various government agencies to target criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational organizations, and human trafficking operations both inside and outside U.S. borders. The task force focuses on crimes affecting children and works to remove violent offenders from the country.
Agencies participating in this investigation included the FBI Raleigh Durham Safe Streets Task Force, Durham County Sheriff’s Office, Chapel Hill Police Department, Durham Police Department, NC DAC Special Operations and Intelligence Unit, NC State Bureau of Investigation, Wake County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole R. DuPré and Eric L. Iverson prosecuted this case.
