Nathan Carl Adams, 42, of Conover, was given an active prison sentence of six to eight years after his conviction for trafficking fentanyl during Catawba County Superior Court on Monday, July 13, 2026.
The sentence was imposed by Superior Court Judge Karen Eady-Williams of Mecklenburg County after Adams pleaded guilty to the charge. He also was assessed a mandatory fine of $50,000.
The defendant will serve his prison term in custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections.
On August 14, 2023, deputies initiated a traffic stop for speeding along N.C. 16 in Maiden. During the stop, a K9 unit conducted a free air sniff of the vehicle and alerted to the odor of narcotics.
A search of the vehicle was conducted, and a plastic bag with suspected narcotics was located behind the defendant’s back.
In an interview with investigators, Adams said he went to Charlotte to get fentanyl to sell to his friends to make money to pay bills.
The substance was sent to the State Crime Lab for testing and was determined to be a trafficking amount of fentanyl.
The investigation was conducted by Valerie Blasdel of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant District Attorney Kyle Smith prosecuted the case for the State with assistance from Legal Assistant Amy Bishoff.