A months-long drug investigation that stretched into 2025 ended this week with a Gastonia man in handcuffs, after officers tracked him to family property in Clover, South Carolina, and brought him back across the state line to face trafficking charges, according to police. Authorities identified the suspect as 37-year-old Okevius Farrell Bigger, who was taken into custody on Wednesday and is being held at the Gaston County Jail without bond. Detectives say the probe focused on fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution and involved thousands of fentanyl pills and hundreds of grams of meth.
In a release, the Gaston County Police Department said Bigger had been entered into the National Crime Information Center as wanted with extradition. Investigators, working through the department’s Special Investigations Unit, located him on family property in Clover, where the York County Sheriff’s Office took him into custody. The arrest capped what police describe as a months-long effort to unravel suspected trafficking activity tied to Gaston County.
Investigation And Charges
Detectives allege the investigation uncovered the distribution of more than 3,000 fentanyl pills and roughly 400 grams of methamphetamine, a haul with an estimated street value near $70,000, according to WCCB Charlotte. Bigger faces 10 counts of trafficking in fentanyl, five counts of trafficking in methamphetamine, and one charge of maintaining a vehicle or dwelling for the sale of controlled substances.
According to the county’s release, Bigger was taken into custody on Wednesday in Clover by the York County Sheriff’s Office, then extradited to Gaston County, where he remains jailed with no bond. Police are asking anyone with information about the case to call 704-866-3320 or contact the department through its Facebook page. Officials say there is no further information available for release at this time.
Why It Matters
Fentanyl remains a major driver of overdose deaths nationwide, and local departments have been leaning hard into cases that target its alleged suppliers. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that synthetic opioids, primarily illicit fentanyl, remain central to opioid-involved fatalities across the country.
Legal Next Steps
The charges against Bigger are allegations; he has not been convicted. If he is found guilty, trafficking offenses are felonies under North Carolina law, with penalties that increase as drug quantities go up. N.C. General Statutes §90-95 lays out the sentencing ranges for trafficking in fentanyl and methamphetamine, reserving the harshest terms for larger amounts.
The Gaston County Police Department says the investigation is still active and that more details will be released as they become available. Community members with tips are again urged to contact investigators at the number provided.
