Ryan Rudy Elledge, a 30-year-old resident of Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, has been sentenced to seven years in prison followed by four years of supervised release for distributing fentanyl. This announcement was made by Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
The case involved collaboration between several law enforcement agencies. Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division; Sheriff Donald G. Brown II of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Tyler Whisenant of the Maiden Police Department joined U.S. Attorney King in announcing the sentence.
According to court documents and proceedings, law enforcement began investigating Elledge in January 2023 due to suspected fentanyl distribution activities around Catawba County. A search warrant executed on February 17, 2023, at Elledge's residence led to the seizure of more than 71 grams of fentanyl and over $21,000 in cash.
A second investigation commenced in February 2024 after authorities learned that Elledge had resumed selling drugs from his home in Newton, N.C. On February 22, 2024, a confidential informant purchased fentanyl and other narcotics from him. The following day, officers executed another search warrant at his residence where they seized additional quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Court records indicate that Elledge admitted to distributing more than a kilogram of fentanyl and over 200 grams of methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty on August 20, 2024, to charges including conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Elledge is currently held in federal custody and will be transferred to a federal facility designated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
U.S. Attorney King expressed gratitude towards the ATF, Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, and Maiden Police Department for their efforts in investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
