A Morganton man has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for his role in trafficking the powerful opioid fentanyl. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina, 42-year-old Joseph Paul Mosteller will also face three years of supervised release following his prison term. The sentence was handed down after a series of investigations led by multiple law enforcement agencies including the ATF, the NC SBI, and local sheriff's departments.

The probe into Mosteller's illegal activities started in June 2023, centering on his suspected distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine. On June 2, 2023, officers were monitoring Mosteller when they witnessed an exchange involving a shoebox, which was later found to contain methamphetamine. Despite attempts to apprehend him, Mosteller fled in his vehicle. The individual accompanying him was arrested, later revealing to law enforcement that Mosteller had received a methamphetamine delivery at the hotel the previous day.

Subsequently, on June 22, 2023, authorities believed Mosteller had another cache of methamphetamine at a residence in Burke County. When they attempted a traffic stop as Mosteller departed the property, he led law enforcement on a high-speed chase, which ended when he crashed into an embankment. This led to his arrest and the seizure of various controlled substances from his car, including distribution-packaged fentanyl. Further quantities of the drug and digital scales were found when police subsequently executed a search warrant at the residence.

Presiding Chief U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger ordered Mosteller to be held in custody by the U.S. Marshals Service, pending his transport to an appropriate federal Bureau of Prisons facility. The U.S. Attorney for the district, Dena J. King, credited the collective efforts of the ATF, the NC SBI, and sheriff's offices from Burke and Catawba Counties, as well as the Hickory Police Department for their coordination in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess from the Asheville office was responsible for the prosecution of the case.