Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to 15 Years for Overdose Death

RALEIGH, N.C. – Treveris Montel Coward, a/k/a “Bad News,” a 31-year-old resident of Raleigh, has been sentenced to 180 months in prison for aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl in the Raleigh area. On April 11, 2017, Coward, assisted in the distribution of fentanyl to a 22-year-old young woman who overdosed and died.  Coward pled guilty on October 4, 2022.

“Drug dealers are increasingly selling drugs laced with deadly fentanyl to make them stronger, more addictive, and more profitable.  Now thousands of North Carolinians, including kids, are dying from overdoses,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.  “This defendant was the worst kind of coward, rendering aid to an overdose victim only to sell her one final deadly dose.  Narcotics dealers take note of this 15-year sentence – if your drugs kill, you will pay a heavy price.”

According to the court documents and other information presented in court, on April 11, 2017, the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) responded to a 911 call for a suspected overdose death.  The investigation that followed confirmed that a 22-year-old young woman lost her life due to a fentanyl overdose.  Ultimately, law enforcement learned that Coward assisted in the distribution of the fentanyl that led to the woman’s death.  On April 10, 2017, the victim had previously received suspected fentanyl from Coward’s girlfriend, Amanda McLeod, and suffered an overdose.  Coward and his co-defendant were called to the scene of the overdose.  Coward rendered aid and the victim survived.  However, despite the victim’s recent overdose, Coward and McLeod provided the victim with additional fentanyl the following day, sourced by Coward’s co-defendant, Reginald Webb, which caused her to overdose and die.

On February 3, 2021, McLeod (5:20-cr-533-D-1) pled guilty to distributing a quantity of fentanyl and aiding and abetting and is awaiting sentencing. On January 5, 2024, Webb (5:21-cr-00148-D-1) pled guilty to distributing fentanyl and heroin and was sentenced to 198 months in prison.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Judge James C. Dever III.  The Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 5:21-cr-00148-D-2.