Craven County deputies announce arrests of 60 people on drug & gun charges

CRAVEN COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - The Craven County Sheriff’s Office says 60 people have been charged with felony drug and illegal firearms offenses over the past several months.

Sheriff Chip Hughes spoke at a press conference Wednesday, updating the public about getting drugs off of the street.

Hughes said more than 10,000 dosage units of methamphetamine were seized since the last update the sheriff’s office gave, as well as more than 9,000 dosage units of cocaine and crack cocaine, 8,400 dosage units of heroin and fentanyl, and 621 dosage units of illegal pills.

Craven County residents acknowledged the progress law enforcement has made, but one woman also shared some personal losses and says there is still work to be done.

“Within two weeks, I lost one to an overdose, got another one... I knew her since she was 15, she dead because they put fentanyl in her stuff, and then I got my other friend who was walking down the street with a friend and she got shot. Her and that young man are now dead,” Sharhonda Houston said.

Hughes said at the presser, on top of the drugs seized, all 24 of the firearms seized were illegally obtained. Furthermore, 71 of the 132 felony charges given to the 60 people arrested were for drug trafficking significant quantities of illegal drugs.

“I want the citizens to know what we’re doing about this problem. That we aren’t sitting back and not doing a thing about what’s taken so many lives in our county,” Hughes said. “These criminals are selling this poison to our kids in schools, in neighborhoods. We’re taking back our communities.”

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