RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – A former Raleigh firefighter and his wife face at least 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges stemming from using the dark web and cryptocurrency to distribute illegal drugs across eastern North Carolina, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release on Thursday.
Nicholas and Amanda Banister both entered guilty pleas in connection with running a large-scale drug trafficking operation, involving cocaine, methamphetamine and other narcotics, DOJ officials said. He worked as a senior firefighter with the City of Raleigh when he was arrested in May 2024.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Nicholas conspired with his wife to sell cocaine and methamphetamine on four different occasions to an undercover law enforcement officer at the Morgan Street Food Hall in Raleigh.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Firefighter, wife charged with drug trafficking at nightclubs in downtown Raleigh, agents say
“The defendant, a Raleigh firefighter, served in a position of public trust, but was hiding in plain sight as he and his wife sold numerous types of illegal narcotics around businesses the community frequently visits,” said Daniel Bubar, the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, said in a statement.
“I’m proud of our federal and state partners at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (NC ALE) for their hard work, which is holding these individuals accountable and making our community safer.”…