Kevin Johnson, a 43-year-old resident of Durham, North Carolina, was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for multiple felony drug offenses. The sentencing took place on February 23, 2026, before Judge William L. Osteen, Jr. Johnson will also serve five years of supervised release after completing his prison term.
Johnson pleaded guilty in October 2025 to conspiring to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, one count of distributing cocaine, and two counts of distributing fentanyl. Evidence presented at the sentencing hearing showed that Johnson sold both drugs in Durham. In early 2025, he received a kilogram of fentanyl for distribution and later purchased two more kilograms that were intercepted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation during a search in May 2025. During this operation, agents also seized twenty kilograms of cocaine intended for another member of the conspiracy. Johnson had previously worked for Bull City United from June 2023 to January 2024.
Dan Bishop, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, acknowledged the efforts of law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation and prosecution. 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 the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative created under Executive Order 14159, which aims to combat criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human trafficking operations within the United States and abroad. The HSTF coordinates various law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute crimes committed by these groups with a focus on those involving violence or children.
Agencies involved in this case included 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 the case.
