An Elizabeth City man has been sentenced to 8.5 years in prison for possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute. Al Esteban Ortiz, aged 49, pled guilty to the charges on January 17, 2025.
Court documents and information presented in court revealed that law enforcement had received a tip-off about Ortiz, also known as “Floyd Lee Riddick, Jr.” He was suspected of traveling to New York to purchase narcotics. On May 4, 2024, investigators from the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office stopped Ortiz’s vehicle upon his return to Pasquotank County. During the stop, officers observed him discarding a white bag out of the passenger side window onto the road shoulder. Ortiz was arrested as the sole occupant of the car and authorities recovered the bag containing 189 grams of fentanyl. A subsequent search warrant executed at Ortiz’s residence led to the discovery of an additional 25 grams of cocaine.
Ortiz admitted to traveling to New York and purchasing what he believed was heroin for $11,000 with plans for distribution in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
The announcement came from Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina following sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The case was investigated by the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Avera and Phil Aubart.
For further details on related court documents and information, individuals can refer to the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or use PACER with Case No. 2:24-cr-00021.
