CRAVEN COUNTY, N.C. — Two Craven County men have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms following major drug trafficking prosecutions, officials announced Wednesday.
Tevin Denzale Godette, 38, of Morehead City, was convicted on multiple fentanyl trafficking and drug distribution charges, including trafficking fentanyl by possession and transportation, two counts of possession with intent to sell or deliver Schedule II drugs, possession with intent to sell acetyl fentanyl, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Godette received two consecutive sentences totaling 180–240 months in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction and was fined $500,000. Authorities said Godette was stopped by deputies for driving without a license, and a K-9 alert led to a search revealing:
Multiple bags of white powder and crystalline substances
Suboxone strips
$1,908 cash
Drug paraphernalia
31.14 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl, ANPP, and acetyl fentanyl
District Attorney Matt Wareham emphasized the danger of fentanyl, saying, “Fentanyl is deadly, and by keeping these drugs off of our streets and out of our communities, we are safer.” Sheriff Chip Hughes added that each seized dosage unit helps save lives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Chekesha Hukins and presided over by Superior Court Judge Hoyt Tessner.
In a separate case, Elvin Ray Ballard, 56, of New Bern, pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted cocaine trafficking, four counts of possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine, possession with intent to sell or deliver buprenorphine, and attaining habitual felon status. Ballard received two consecutive sentences totaling 145–199 months in prison.
Investigators said Ballard led a cocaine distribution network in Craven County. The multi-agency investigation, involving the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, the State Bureau of Investigation, and New Bern Police, included controlled purchases, extensive surveillance, a state-authorized wiretap, a traffic stop where cocaine was recovered, and a search warrant executed at six residences and a storage unit, seizing 424 grams of cocaine.
Sheriff Hughes warned, “Drug traffickers should take notice. Our office will continue to aggressively go after suspects trafficking illegal narcotics in Craven County.”
Both cases highlight Craven County law enforcement’s ongoing effort to combat fentanyl and cocaine distribution.
