Casey Everett Pruitt, 35, of Hickory, was sentenced to serve six to eight years in prison following his conviction for trafficking fentanyl by possession and transportation during Catawba County Superior Court on Monday, March 9, 2026.
The Honorable Nathaniel J. Poovey, Superior Court Judge from Catawba County, imposed terms of the active sentence after Pruitt entered a guilty plea, along with a mandatory fine of $50,000.
The defendant will serve his period of incarceration in custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections.
A January 15, 2024, traffic stop led to the recovery of a trafficking amount of fentanyl from the driver’s side door panel of a vehicle operated by Pruitt.
The vehicle driven by Pruitt was stopped by Catawba County deputies for no taillights. Pruitt had a suspended license, and drug paraphernalia was seen in the vehicle during questioning. He told officers there were no drugs in the vehicle, but a search revealed a clear plastic bag of a white, powdery substance.
The substance was confirmed to be a trafficking amount of fentanyl by the State Crime Lab.
Sean Ruddy and Wesley Crowe handled the investigation for the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Greer prosecuted the matter for the State with aid from Legal Assistant Stacey London.