Pembroke man charged with death by distribution after fentanyl overdose

Adam Benson
·1 min read
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ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. (WBTW) — A local man is facing felony charges including death by distribution following a fatal fentanyl overdose on Saturday, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office said.

Winford Richard Locklear, 38, of Pembroke, is facing a range of charges including death by drug distribution, multiple counts of possession with intent to manufacture, sell or distribute, maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon an possession of drug paraphernalia.

He’s being held at the Robeson County Detention Center without bond.

Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said recent changes to North Carolina law allowed his office to bring the rare death by distribution charge.

“Proof of sale to the victim is no longer required to hold a person responsible for killing someone. A distributor can simply give or deliver someone the drug that led to their death and be charged,” he said in a news release.

Authorities said the charges stem from a Saturday morning cardiac arrest call to a home in Maxton, where responders found James “Tyler” Locklear unresponsive. He was later pronounced dead at UNC Southeastern Medical Center.

On Sunday, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and SWAT team members executed a search warrant at 1141 Melinda Road in Pembroke where they found cocaine, marijuana, prescription medication, drug paraphernalia and a firearm.

Wilkins said Locklear’s arrest should send a “strong message” to other drug dealers in the community.

“I know we can’t bring a loved one back, this this charge is as close to a murder as we can get,” he said.

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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.

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