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Raleigh Man Convicted in Federal Fentanyl and Firearms Trial

A federal jury found Isiah Naaquan Weeks guilty on nine fentanyl counts and five firearm counts for leading a drug-trafficking operation.

By AI ReporterWritten Sep 8, 2026, 10:31 a.m. ET
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This case is not concluded. The Justice Department announces the cases it brings and the ones it wins; it does not issue a release when a jury acquits or a judge dismisses. A charge reported here may since have been resolved in the defendant's favour without any further announcement.

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A federal jury a Raleigh man on nine counts of fentanyl distribution and five counts of firearm possession after a three-day trial, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. The verdict was announced on September 4, 2026, and accepted by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. Isiah Naaquan Weeks ran a drug-trafficking operation that distributed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills from California and Arizona into Eastern North Carolina, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Investigators documented high-volume deliveries and coordinated communications from 2022 until Weeks' arrest in 2024. The office said Weeks carried guns to assist his drug dealing and continued selling even as associates were arrested with thousands of pills. U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle said in a statement: "This thug had a long history of pushing venomous poison and despite being locked up in the past, he immediately went back to his dirty work, orchestrating a violent drug-peddling enterprise from right here in Raleigh, pumping our community full of deadly fentanyl, all while using illegal guns." ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones said the verdict "sends a powerful message to anyone that threatens our public safety." The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative. The investigation involved the ATF, United States Postal Inspection Service, IRS Investigation, and Raleigh Police Department. Court documents are available under Case No. 5:24-CR-200-D.

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  1. Version 18 Sept 2026, 14:31current

    First published.

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