Two-Month Fentanyl Trafficking Investigation Leads to Arrest of Murphy Woman

CHEROKEE COUNTY, N.C. — A two-month investigation into fentanyl trafficking in Cherokee County has led to the arrest of Ashli Shawnai Roberts, of Murphy, following a coordinated operation between North Carolina and Georgia law enforcement agencies.

According to Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith, the investigation concluded on October 16, 2025, when authorities received information that Roberts was returning to Murphy from Atlanta with a large quantity of fentanyl.

Investigators reached out to the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia for assistance. Deputies located Roberts and conducted a traffic stop in Blue Ridge, Georgia, where they discovered a trafficking amount of fentanyl inside her vehicle.

Sheriff Smith said Roberts later admitted to possessing the drugs and to being responsible for distributing multiple ounces of fentanyl throughout Cherokee County. Investigators have linked her to several overdose incidents and other criminal activity within the area.

Roberts was taken into custody and is currently being held without bond at the Fannin County Detention Center on drug trafficking charges.

Sheriff Smith expressed gratitude for the partnership between agencies, noting that such cooperation is essential to combating the region’s drug crisis.

“We express our appreciation to the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office for their continued support and the teamwork that it takes to combat the drug problems within our communities,” Smith said.