Drug overdose problem continues in Onslow, sheriff puts emphasis on charging those responsible

As the drug overdose problem in Onslow County continues to rise, the Onslow County Sheriff's Office is doing everything it can to lessen the impact, including putting more emphasis on finding those responsible for providing the drugs to a deceased victim.

On Feb. 12, 2020, OCSO deputies and Onslow County Emergency Medical Services responded to the area of 1312 Wolf Swamp Road in reference to a subject found not breathing by his roommates, according to a Facebook news release from OCSO.

The subject, Paul Disorbo, was immediately stabilized by EMS and then transported to Onslow Memorial Hospital where he later passed away, the release said. During the subsequent investigation, detectives discovered Disorbo had voluntarily ingested illicit narcotics and had struggled with a severe drug addiction over the years.

The release added Disorbo's death was found to be caused by an overdose of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

The investigative process included several interviews, review of cellphone records and GPS locations. The release said detectives learned the narcotics obtained by Disorbo had been purchased from Cordavier Dunn and Christopher Belfiore. Disorbo had accompanied Dunn when the transaction between him and Belfiore was performed at Belfiore's residence, thus making both individuals responsible for the death of Disorbo, the release added.

Both Dunn and Belfiore were previously charged with other drug-related crimes prior to this incident.

The release said on Sept. 21, 2020, Dunn was arrested and later pled guilty on Aug. 17, 2022, to involuntary manslaughter and sell & deliver of a schedule II-controlled substance, where he received an active sentence of 36 months of supervised probation.

Belfiore was also arrested on Sept. 21, 2020, and pled guilty on Nov. 15, 2022, to death by distribution and possession of heroin and received an active sentence of 50 to 72 months in prison with six to 17 months supervised probation thereafter.

The release said that over the past year, OCSO and Onslow County EMS have responded to numerous calls for service where a person overdosed on a particular drug, adding the emergency response to these incidents has become far more common than in years past.

Between both OCSO and Onslow County EMS, Narcan has been administered over 245 times with most incidents resulting in the revival of the affected person or a full recovery, often with a refusal for further medical assistance per the person's expressed desire, the release added.

Additionally, within the past year, the OCSO’s General Crimes Unit (GCU) has investigated 55 overdose deaths where the affected person succumbs to the ingested narcotic whether it be heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine or a combination of several drugs, the release said.

"These deaths are extremely difficult to investigate given the purposely shrouded communication related to the drug transactions as well as the typical nature for which these incidents are reported," the release explained. "It is even more difficult for the family members of these individuals as they are left grieving the sudden loss of a loved one and knowing the struggles that come with addiction. Our hearts go out to these family members."

The release said that in recent years, more emphasis has been put on law enforcement to find out who sold or provided the related drugs to the deceased victim.

The applicable criminal charge is North Carolina General Statute 14-18.4, death by distribution of certain controlled substances, which states that a person is guilty if all of the following requirements are met: the person unlawfully sells at least one certain controlled substance, the ingestion of the certain controlled substance or substances causes the death of the user, the commission of the offense in subdivision one of this subsection was the proximate cause of the victim's death and the person did not act with malice.

“Only by combining the strict enforcement of our drug laws, partnering with our fellow law enforcement agencies, federal and state prosecutors and working with the community to seek out treatment and counseling services for those addicted to these drugs, will we be successful in our fight to end addiction," Sheriff Chris Thomas said in the release.

Reporter Morgan Starling can be reached at mstarling@jdnew.com.

This article originally appeared on The Daily News: Drug overdose problem continues in Onslow, sheriff puts emphasis on charging those responsible