A former correctional officer from Kenansville has been sentenced to five years in prison and four years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Dawan Dontra McKinzie, 31, pleaded guilty to the charges on May 7, 2025.
According to court documents, McKinzie was employed at Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro when he began working with inmates to smuggle drugs and other contraband into the facility. On November 14, 2023, federal authorities received information that McKinzie was bringing prohibited items into the prison. Law enforcement confronted him at his home, where he admitted receiving a package from an inmate’s wife and showed agents where he stored the drugs and contraband.
Agents found 53 grams of methamphetamine, 30 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, two grams of cocaine, seven pounds of tobacco, suboxone, a cellphone, and nude photographs intended for smuggling into the prison. The investigation determined that McKinzie started bringing contraband into Neuse Correctional between July and October 2023 by carrying it on his person. Messages on his cellphone provided additional evidence about 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 multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), NC Department of Adult Correction Internal Investigations and Apprehension Division, as well as the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Lester and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Peaden.
