A federal judge has sentenced James Mason Daugherty, 33, to 25 years in prison for selling fentanyl that resulted in the death of a 33-year-old man. Daugherty pleaded guilty on May 22, 2025.
According to court documents and information presented during the proceedings, the New Bern Police Department learned in December 2021 that Daugherty was selling fentanyl in New Bern. Law enforcement carried out seven controlled purchases of fentanyl from him. On May 16, 2022, one of his customers died after using fentanyl sold by Daugherty.
Daugherty admitted responsibility for multiple deaths connected to his drug sales. He stated about his victim: “that’s the third person I killed off a dope.” He also named two additional victims and said, “I gave them the dope that killed ‘em.” In addition, he admitted to selling fentanyl to another person on the same day; first responders used Narcan to save this individual’s life.
After being arrested by state officials and released on bond, Daugherty received a probationary sentence for selling fentanyl. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina later indicted him federally for causing the death of the victim. Following his federal arrest, authorities searched his cell phone and found evidence that he knew about three fatalities linked to his drugs. Despite being on release and probation from state charges, he continued selling fentanyl until his federal detention.
