DUBUQUE, IA – James Adam Earwood, 38, of Lake Lure, North Carolina, was convicted on October 5, 2023, by a jury for distributing a controlled substance, heroin and fentanyl, resulting in a Dubuque man’s death. The conviction followed a four-day jury trial.
Trial evidence demonstrated that on November 18, 2021, Earwood shipped heroin and fentanyl to the victim, a resident of Dubuque, Iowa, from his location in North Carolina. The recipient overdosed from the substances in a Dubuque business parking lot but survived.
However, on December 17, 2021, after receiving another package from Earwood containing the same drugs, the man overdosed again, this time fatally.
He was discovered dead by hotel employees in Dubuque.
Investigations unveiled Earwood’s use of the dark web’s social media platforms to facilitate heroin and fentanyl transactions. Authorities identified at least one other package Earwood had dispatched via US Mail containing the illicit substances.