FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) — A Fayetteville drug trafficker was sentenced to 40 years in prison Tuesday for leading a multi-year drug trafficking conspiracy in Cumberland and Robeson counties, federal prosecutors said.
Courtney Linwood “Blaze” Matthews, 40, pleaded guilty to his role as the leader of the drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed more than 839 kilograms of cocaine, 9.5 kilograms of heroin, and 3.4 kilograms of fentanyl. He also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, according to the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Federal prosecutors said the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fayetteville Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies learned Matthews was coordinating with multiple co-conspirators to import and distribute kilograms of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. In September 2023, law enforcement conducted a controlled purchase of a kilogram of cocaine from Matthews at a Fayetteville home he owned…