09/04/2026
**OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE**
PRESS RELEASE BY THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
WILMINGTON, NC – A federal judge sentenced Aaron Cotten, 50, of Sanford, NC, to 10 and half years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribution and possession with intent to distribute 11 pounds or more of Co***ne, 400 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of he**in, possession with intent to distribution 500 grams or more of co***ne, and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
“Cotten’s repeated traffic stops revealed large amounts of co***ne and fentanyl, along with cash and signs of armed associates, showing just how deeply he was involved in the dangerous drug game,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “His efforts to hide this poison, including stuffing a pound of fentanyl inside a car’s engine bay, put communities across Eastern North Carolina at serious risk. With prior convictions for violent crimes and a steady supply line stretching from Charlotte, East. This conviction shuts down a major pipeline of deadly drugs in our region. This Big Shark Bad Boy will no longer swim in the shallows threatening our children and communities. Simple Lesson: Drugs Kill, Prison Awaits – Do Right.”
On March 15, 2022, the Duplin County Sheriff’s Department stopped a vehicle with Cotten in the front passenger seat. Deputies detected a strong odor of ma*****na and searched the vehicle, finding more than $15,000 in cash near Cotten’s seat. When deputies attempted to search Cotten, he became combative, resisting arrest. Deputies then searched Cotten and recovered more than a pound of co***ne and several ounces of fentanyl.
On April 3, 2024, the Lee County Sheriff’s Department conducted another traffic stop involving Cotten, who again sat in the front passenger seat. After a K 9 alerted to narcotics, deputies searched the vehicle and discovered approximately one pound of fentanyl concealed in the engine bay of the car. Deputies also found a gun on another passenger.
The investigation revealed that Cotten distributed multiple pounds of co***ne and fentanyl across Eastern North Carolina. He sourced the drugs from Charlotte. Cotten has prior convictions for robbery with a dangerous weapon and second degree burglary.
“Today’s sentence reinforces our commitment to holding drug traffickers accountable,” said Michael J. Connolly, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Co***ne and fentanyl trafficking threaten the safety of our communities, and combating these threats requires teamwork and strong partnerships across law enforcement. We will continue working together to disrupt the flow of dangerous drugs and make progress toward a Fentanyl Free America.”
“Wherever illegal narcotics are being sold, you find that the likelihood of violent crime greatly increases,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “Every drug trafficking network that gets taken down is an opportunity to prevent violent crime and better protect our communities.”
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The ATF, DEA, Jacksonville Police Department, Beulaville Police Department, Goldsboro Police Department, Duplin County Sheriff’s Office, and Lee County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
