A Sampson County native, dubbed a “drug boss” by federal authorities, has been convicted on 12 felony counts of distribution and conspiracy stemming from his leadership of what has been called a large-scale methamphetamine distribution operation in eastern North Carolina.
A federal jury convicted Homer Allen Faison III, 47, who was living in Raleigh at the time of his arrest in May 2023, on 12 counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine, according to a release issued Monday afternoon from the U.S. Attorney’s Office (Eastern District).
“This verdict sends a strong message: if you flood our communities with deadly drugs, we will come after you,” noted U.S. attorney Ellis Boyle in that release. “This defendant chose to run a major cross-country methamphetamine operation, and now he will face the consequences. Our office will continue to protect the people of North Carolina with unwavering resolve.”
In talking with an expert witness from the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, Faison’s arrest was the culmination of a “very complex” probe that was initiated in 2021.
“That’s when we got the first actionable information,” said the expert witness, whose name is being withheld for safety reasons. “This operation was an umbrella with about 30 people taken into custody.”
Faison was among them.
“Through a collaborative effort, ATF and our law enforcement partners disrupted a dangerous drug-dealing network that stretched from coast to coast,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “Bringing an end to this criminal operation will have a major impact on bettering public safety in our community.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Faison led a drug trafficking operation that transported methamphetamine and other drugs from California into eastern North Carolina for distribution.
Evidence showed that Faison traveled to California to acquire pounds of pure meth, set up shipments of that meth into Sampson County and managed the sale of those drugs at homes and businesses in Clinton.
The probe revealed repeated large-quantity deliveries, organized communication and continuous drug selling from 2020 until Faison’s arrest in May 2023.
He faces a minimum penalty of 120 months and up to life in prison when sentenced in February 2026.
Sampson County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton said the partnership between agencies once again proved vital in getting drugs off the streets of Sampson and other counties.
“I am truly grateful for the cooperation between my office, our federal partners, and the United States Attorney’s Office,” the sheriff said. “These partnerships have allowed us to stop the flow of drugs before they even got to Sampson County, preventing overdoses and other catastrophic effects.”
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs).