Lorenizo Reshaud Simmons, age 33, was sentenced on April 6 to more than six years in federal prison for possessing with intent to sell over 40 grams of fentanyl. The sentencing was announced by Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, following a decision by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address drug trafficking in Halifax County and surrounding areas.
According to court documents, Simmons sold fentanyl from a residence in Halifax County where he stored and packaged drugs. The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Simmons after receiving complaints about drug activity in Garysburg, North Carolina. With assistance from the State Bureau of Investigation, officers conducted three controlled purchases of fentanyl from Simmons.
On May 4, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his home and discovered more than 300 grams of a fentanyl analogue, morphine, digital scales, extended gun magazines, hundreds of bullets, needles and syringes among other paraphernalia.
Simmons is a convicted felon with previous convictions for selling opiates and possessing oxycodone in 2018.
The investigation was led by the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office with support from the State Bureau of Investigation and Northampton County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Dixon prosecuted the case.
