Men Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Introduce Narcotics to Federal Prison in Butner, North Carolina

NEW BERN – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced federal inmate CHARLIE MORGAN to a 15-month term of imprisonment followed by a 3-year term of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute the opiate Buprenorphine, commonly referred to by the brand name Suboxone.  The 15-month term was in addition to, and consecutive to MORGAN’S 24-month term of imprisonment imposed for violation of his supervised release for this crime.  Judge Flanagan previously sentenced co-defendant JEFFREY NEWKIRK to a term of 12 months and 1 day imprisonment to run consecutive to his current federal sentence.  NEWKIRK also received a 3-year term of supervised release.  

Beginning in November 2017, MORGAN, who was on supervised release at the time, and then-federal-inmate NEWKIRK began to communicate with the purpose of introducing contraband into the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner,   North Carolina (“FCC Butner”).  The contraband in question was Buprenorphine, a Schedule III Controlled Substance.  Based on information obtained from monitoring the communications, on December 6, 2017, the FCC Butner mailroom intercepted a package mailed to NEWKIRK containing 25 photographs.  Upon further inspection of the package, staff discovered two stacks of orange colored film.  Pharmacy staff identified the film as Buprenorphine. 

Mr. Higdon commented:  “The introduction of drugs and contraband into federal correctional institutions is a nationwide concern.  The safety and security of both staff and inmates are compromised when inmates have access to dangerous drugs and contraband.   As such, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina is dedicated to pursuing prosecution of these introductions of contraband cases in addition to any discipline the Bureau of Prisons may impose.”

Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Bredenberg represented the government in this case.