Newton Man Gets Long Prison Term For Trafficking Methamphetamine

A Newton man will serve up to 23-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to traffic in methamphetamine and operating a continuing criminal enterprise.

41-year old Dwayne Bullock entered the plea on March 6th in McDowell County Superior Court. The judge sentenced Bullock to a prison term of between 18 years and nine months to 23 years and five months.

In 2017, detectives with the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, Marion Police Department and agents with N.C. State Bureau of investigation launched a probe into the drug distribution activities of Bullock and his associates.

The investigation concluded on April 18, 2018, with the execution of multiple search warrants in three different counties where detectives seized over 20 pounds of methamphetamine, four ounces of fentanyl and approximately $500,000 cash.

The investigation was a multi-jurisdictional effort involving the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, Marion Police Department, the State Bureau of Investigation, McDowell County District Attorney’s Office, Burke County Sheriff’s Office, Morganton Department of Public Safety, Newton Police Department, N.C. State Highway Patrol, U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

One defendant in the case still faces an upcoming court appearance.

Bullock has previous convictions for common law larceny, forgery, communicating threats, breaking and entering of a vehicle, possession of a firearm by a felon along with other crimes.