GRIFTON, N.C. — A Grifton man was arrested Jan. 15 following a narcotics investigation that led to the seizure of large amounts of drugs, firearms, and cash, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office reported.
Members of the Neuse River Narcotics Task Force executed a search warrant at a Riverside Road residence as part of an ongoing investigation into drug activity. During the operation, authorities seized approximately 200 grams of cocaine, 19 grams of pressed fentanyl pills, oxycodone, marijuana, two stolen firearms, and roughly $7,600 in cash.
Brian Shonelius Pugh, 44, who resides at the home, faces multiple felony charges, including:
Two counts of trafficking heroin
Two counts of trafficking cocaine
Possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana
Two counts of possession of a stolen firearm
Maintaining a dwelling for the sale of controlled substances
Possession of drug paraphernalia
Pugh is currently held at the Craven Confinement Facility under a $1.7 million bond.
Craven County Sheriff Chip Hughes emphasized that the arrest is part of a broader effort to combat drug trafficking in eastern North Carolina. “This operation is part of an ongoing effort by the task force to target drug trafficking across Craven, Carteret, and Pamlico counties,” Hughes said.
The Neuse River Narcotics Task Force includes sheriff’s offices from Craven, Carteret, and Pamlico counties, along with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. The New Bern Police Department also assisted. Investigators said the case remains ongoing.
