RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh resident was sentenced Monday to nine years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine following an investigation that led authorities to drugs hidden in both a storage unit and a bathroom toilet.
Enrico Ferrante Cotton, 55, pleaded guilty on March 26 to charges of distributing a quantity of fentanyl and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents, the investigation began in February 2024 after law enforcement received a tip from a confidential source that Cotton was distributing fentanyl and cocaine in the Raleigh area. On March 1, 2024, a controlled purchase was carried out in which Cotton sold 32.82 grams of fentanyl for $1,500. During the deal, Cotton and the buyer discussed cocaine sales.
In the days that followed, authorities tracked Cotton’s visits to a storage unit. On March 6, a K-9 unit alerted to the presence of narcotics at the site, prompting the execution of a search warrant. Officers recovered heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, 4-anilino-N-phenethylpiperidine (ANPP), and drug paraphernalia.
Later that day, investigators searched Cotton’s residence. There, they found 47.35 grams of fentanyl and ANPP concealed in the toilet. Law enforcement also seized $9,231 in cash, four phones, 55 rounds of ammunition, a loaded magazine, and a money counter.
The sentence was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
