Rutherford Man Charged With Fentanyl Trafficking After Jail Discovery, Records Show

A Rutherford County man is being held in jail after authorities say a joint investigation led to fentanyl trafficking charges when narcotics were discovered hidden inside a device at the county detention center, according to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and court records.

Members of the Tri-City Violent Crimes Task Force and the Sheriff’s Office ACE Team conducted a traffic stop Feb. 3 on College Avenue near Thunder Road during an investigation. Deputies identified Tyson Reyquan Blanton as a backseat passenger and arrested him on an outstanding order for arrest tied to a prior indictment. He was transported to the Rutherford County Detention Center, served with the indictment, and released on an unsecured bond — a routine process when bond has already been posted on the same charge, according to authorities.

Investigators said Blanton had been searched before transport. Shortly after his release, ACE Team members returned to the processing area and found a hollowed-out charging block under a chair where he had been seated. Authorities reported the device contained 14.21 grams of purple powder fentanyl.

Officials stated that no other detainees had entered the area during that time frame. Surveillance footage reviewed with jail staff allegedly showed Blanton removing the item from his pant leg and pushing it under the chair before leaving. Warrants were then issued charging him with trafficking fentanyl.

On Feb. 4, officers located Blanton at an apartment at Rutherford Manor in Forest City and arrested him without incident. He was returned to the Rutherford County Detention Center, where he remains in custody.

Rutherford District Court records show the charge filed under case number 26CR224636-800. The felony trafficking count remains pending. Judicial entries show a warrant issued and served Feb. 4 and counsel appointed Feb. 5 by District Court Judge Robert Martelle "by and through John Kornmayer." Bond was later amended to $250,000 secured. "The Court has considered the nature of Defendant's charge(s), prior criminal history, dangerousness to the community, likelihood that Defendant will appear for future court date and consulted the suggested bond guidelines set by the Resident Superior Court Judge (J. Thomas Davis)," the release order said. "There is a reasonable assurance that the person will appear and release does not pose an unreasonable risk of harm to the community."

Records also show Blanton had been released a day earlier after posting bond in a separate court case charging possession of a firearm by a felon. That case, number 26CR000449-800, stems from an alleged Aug. 12, 2025 offense and remains pending with a hearing scheduled for March 11.

State correction records indicate Blanton is a convicted felon currently under active supervision by the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. Records list a 2024 Cleveland County conviction for attempted trafficking in cocaine, along with felony counts involving a concealed weapon and possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance. He received a probationary sentence with a suspended term and remains assigned to a supervision unit.

Sheriff’s officials credited the coordinated work of investigators, detention staff, and magistrates with recovering the fentanyl before it could pose further danger inside the facility. Federal public health agencies warn fentanyl — a synthetic opioid significantly more potent than morphine — remains a major contributor to overdose deaths nationwide.

The case remains under investigation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.