CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — A Catawba County man was sentenced to 20 to 26 years in prison after being found guilty on several drug charges on Friday.
After a four-day trial, 48-year-old Tyrus Terrill Sanders was convicted of trafficking fentanyl and maintaining a place for controlled substances.
He was also fined $1.5 million.
The jury deliberated for about an hour and a half over two days before reaching its verdict.
Officials said Sanders’ sentence was enhanced due to his status as a habitual felon.
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His prior felony convictions include attempted trafficking of opium/heroin in May 2021, maintaining a place for controlled substances in February 2018, and selling/delivering a Schedule II controlled substance in April 2010, all in Gaston County.
The case began with Sanders’ arrest on February 27, 2024, after a traffic stop by a Catawba County Sheriff’s deputy. During the stop, deputies observed a passenger attempting to conceal something, which was later identified as fentanyl. A search of the vehicle revealed multiple bags of controlled substances, leading to Sanders’ arrest.
Sanders will serve his sentence in the custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections.
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