Franklin Carlos Fair, a 55-year-old resident of Arden, North Carolina, has been sentenced to over 11 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine. The sentence includes a subsequent five-year period of supervised release. This was announced by Russ Ferguson, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Court documents reveal that in July 2023, law enforcement discovered Fair's involvement in distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in Buncombe County. On November 7, 2023, during a traffic stop in Anderson, South Carolina, deputies intercepted Fair on his route from Atlanta to Western North Carolina. They found nearly $3,800 in cash on him and recovered more than 255 grams of fentanyl discarded from his vehicle.
Further investigations led to an incident on April 17, 2024, where Fair attempted to sell $4,400 worth of methamphetamine and fentanyl to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. He was arrested at the scene and additional drugs were found in his vehicle.
Fair pleaded guilty on October 23, 2024, to charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. He is currently held by the U.S. Marshals Service awaiting placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson acknowledged the efforts of multiple agencies involved in this case: the Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Bureau of Indian Affairs; Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office; Anderson County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina; and Waynesville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess prosecuted the case from Asheville. This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
