Dwayne Burch, 35, of Wilmington, pleaded guilty Monday in New Hanover County Superior Court to one count of trafficking heroin and one count of trafficking cocaine.
Judge Phyllis M. Gorham sentenced Burch to a minimum of 70 months and a maximum term of 93 months in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.
According to the Office of District Attorney Ben David, a confidential informant told narcotics detectives with the Wilmington Police Department on Jan. 8, 2015 that he could purchase heroin from Burch.
A purchase was arranged for later that evening. Burch arrived at the predetermined location with 72 bindles of heroin and 2.87 grams of crack cocaine in and around his vehicle. After that, detectives executed a search warrant on Burch’s residence on Harbour Ridge Drive in Wilmington and found an additional 174.76 grams of cocaine and 681 bindles of heroin.
The defendant also had an extensive criminal history, including felony convictions for selling both heroin and cocaine previously.
“The distribution of heroin and cocaine will not be tolerated in our community and dealers of
this drug must be punished harshly, especially repeat offenders found possessing large quantities of these dangerous and deadly drugs,” Assistant District Attorney Brad Matthews said.
David said his office “will continue to aggressively prosecute heroin dealers throughout New Hanover and Pender Counties.”
“The damage that the over 700 bindles of heroin and 175 grams of cocaine that were found in this defendant’s possession could have done to our community is extensive,” David said.
Narcotics detectives with the Wilmington Police Department investigated the case. The State
was represented by Matthews, and the defendant was represented by attorney Bruce Mason.
