NEW HANOVER COUNTY — The Wilmington Police Department carried out a lengthy investigation on a Wilmington man suspected of trafficking narcotics before his 2017 arrest, which has concluded with a Superior Court conviction.
READ MORE: Drug trafficker sentenced after narcotics seizure in 2021
On Monday, 46-year old Rodney Nixon pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in cocaine and one count of possession with intention to sell and deliver heroin before judge Frank Jones. Jones sentenced Nixon to 70 months minimum and 93 months maximum in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, in addition to a $50,000 mandatory fine for drug trafficking.
Before his arrest, Nixon was a primary subject of an investigation carried out by detectives in WPD’s vice and narcotics division. WPD officers conducted a traffic stop of Nixon in August 2017 and obtained a search warrant after finding evidence of drug possession in the vehicle.
WPD detectives then found a hidden compartment in the car containing 25.8 grams of crack cocaine, 421.7 grams of powder cocaine, 429 bindles of heroin, and $11,140 in U.S. currency. Crime Scene Investigators then linked a fingerprint on the plastic bag containing narcotics to Nixon.
According to a press release from the District Attorney’s office, Nixon has an extensive criminal history including narcotics distribution offenses.
“Due to the nature of their work, our Vice and Narcotics Unit detectives are often the unsung heroes of our agency,” WPD Chief Donny Williams said in a statement. “I am extremely proud of the work they did on this case.”
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