MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. — A local government employee is behind bars after police uncovered a drug trafficking operation in Morehead City.
Joshua Daniel Dupree, 36, was arrested on Tuesday, May 6, by the Morehead City Police Department on multiple drug-related charges. Dupree is currently employed as a building inspector for the Town of Newport, according to Mayor Dennis Barber.
Authorities allege that Dupree used a 1999 red Toyota Tacoma to store and sell heroin. Police discovered a number of incriminating items in the vehicle, including a red straw with residue, a weight scale, and $1 bills also bearing drug residue.
Dupree faces the following felony charges:
Maintaining a vehicle/dwelling/place for controlled substances
Three counts of trafficking opium or heroin
Possession of heroin
Manufacture of Schedule I controlled substances
Possession of drug paraphernalia
He was booked into custody under a $500,000 secured bond. Further details are expected as the investigation continues.
