A former correctional officer from Kenansville, North Carolina, has been sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a plan to smuggle drugs and other contraband into Neuse Correctional Institution. Dawan Dontra McKinzie, 31, will also serve four years of supervised release after pleading guilty on May 7, 2025, to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Authorities say McKinzie was working as a correctional officer at the Goldsboro facility when he began collaborating with inmates to bring illegal substances and items into the prison. The investigation started after federal agents received information on November 14, 2023, that McKinzie was involved in smuggling activities. When law enforcement confronted him at his home, McKinzie admitted receiving a package from an inmate’s wife and showed agents where he stored the drugs and contraband.
During the search, officers found 53 grams of methamphetamine, 30 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, two grams of cocaine, seven pounds of tobacco, suboxone strips, a cellphone, and nude photographs intended for delivery inside the prison. Investigators determined that McKinzie had begun these activities between July and October of 2023 by hiding contraband on his person before entering the facility. Messages found on his cellphone provided further evidence of the conspiracy.
“This case is a reminder that when those entrusted with public safety break the law, the damage runs deep – inside our prisons and throughout our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable anyone who undermines that trust, especially when it involves trafficking dangerous drugs into a correctional facility.”
“Illicit drugs and contraband endanger the health, safety and security of our employees, those in our custody and the public at large,” said Leslie Dismukes, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. “We will not hesitate to investigate and take action against anyone — including a compromised staff member — that brings illicit drugs or contraband into our facilities. I am grateful to our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina for working with us to bring Dawan McKinzie to justice.”
The case was investigated by several agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), NC Department of Adult Correction Internal Investigations and Apprehension Division, and Duplin County Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Lester and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Peaden.
