Supplier of Drug Network is Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison

Press Release
Acting Unites States Attorney William T. Setzer
Western District of North Carolina
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Lia Bantavani
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021 704-338-3140
SUPPLIER OF DRUG NETWORK IS SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS IN PRISON
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The supplier of a local drug network has been sentenced to 30 years in prison, announced William T. Stetzer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Matthew Wondra, 34, of Murphy, N.C., was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after he is released from prison.
According to court documents and yesterday’s sentencing hearing, in September 2018, law enforcement became aware that Wondra was operating as a supplier for a local drug network in Cherokee and Graham Counties and elsewhere. Court records show that Wondra frequently traveled to Georgia to purchase kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and heroin, which he then distributed to dealers in Western North Carolina. Throughout the investigation, Wondra engaged in multiple drug transactions, and at times possessed firearms in connection with his drug trafficking activities. On one occasion, Wondra put a gun to the head of a person he accused of stealing drug proceeds from him during the course of the conspiracy and he threatened to kill that person. According to filed documents, from September 2018 to August 2019, Wondra was responsible for purchasing and distributing more than 19 kilograms of methamphetamine and over three kilograms of heroin.
On October 30, 2020, Wondra pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin. At yesterday’s court hearing, Wondra received sentencing enhancements for weapons possession, making a credible threat, maintaining a premises for the purpose of storing and distributing controlled substances, and for his leadership role during the drug conspiracy.
Wondra’s co-defendants, Jamie Allen and Derek Wilson, were previously sentenced to 10 years and 4.25 years in prison, respectively, for their role in the conspiracy.
In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Asheville Post of Duty; the Bureau of Indian Affairs; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office; the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office; the Swain County Sheriff’s Office; the Graham County Sheriff’s Office; the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office; the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office; the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office; the Cherokee Indian Police Department; the Murphy Police Department; and the Asheville Police Department for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Kent, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, prosecuted the case.

FDA fully approves Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

Featured News, Featured Stories, News, Press Release
pfizer

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, and will now be marketed as Comirnaty (koe-mir’-na-tee), for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older. The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA), including for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals.

“The FDA’s approval of this vaccine is a milestone as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. While this and other vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous, scientific standards for emergency use authorization, as the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, the public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “While millions of people have already safely received COVID-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated. Today’s milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S.” 

Since Dec. 11, 2020, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine has been available under EUA in individuals 16 years of age and older, and the authorization was expanded to include those 12 through 15 years of age on May 10, 2021. EUAs can be used by the FDA during public health emergencies to provide access to medical products that may be effective in preventing, diagnosing, or treating a disease, provided that the FDA determines that the known and potential benefits of a product, when used to prevent, diagnose, or treat the disease, outweigh the known and potential risks of the product.

FDA-approved vaccines undergo the agency’s standard process for reviewing the quality, safety and effectiveness of medical products. For all vaccines, the FDA evaluates data and information included in the manufacturer’s submission of a biologics license application (BLA). A BLA is a comprehensive document that is submitted to the agency providing very specific requirements. For Comirnaty, the BLA builds on the extensive data and information previously submitted that supported the EUA, such as preclinical and clinical data and information, as well as details of the manufacturing process, vaccine testing results to ensure vaccine quality, and inspections of the sites where the vaccine is made. The agency conducts its own analyses of the information in the BLA to make sure the vaccine is safe and effective and meets the FDA’s standards for approval.

Comirnaty contains messenger RNA (mRNA), a kind of genetic material. The mRNA is used by the body to make a mimic of one of the proteins in the virus that causes COVID-19. The result of a person receiving this vaccine is that their immune system will ultimately react defensively to the virus that causes COVID-19. The mRNA in Comirnaty is only present in the body for a short time and is not incorporated into – nor does it alter – an individual’s genetic material. Comirnaty has the same formulation as the EUA vaccine and is administered as a series of two doses, three weeks apart.

“Our scientific and medical experts conducted an incredibly thorough and thoughtful evaluation of this vaccine. We evaluated scientific data and information included in hundreds of thousands of pages, conducted our own analyses of Comirnaty’s safety and effectiveness, and performed a detailed assessment of the manufacturing processes, including inspections of the manufacturing facilities,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “We have not lost sight that the COVID-19 public health crisis continues in the U.S. and that the public is counting on safe and effective vaccines. The public and medical community can be confident that although we approved this vaccine expeditiously, it was fully in keeping with our existing high standards for vaccines in the U.S.”

FDA Evaluation of Safety and Effectiveness Data for Approval for 16 Years of Age and Older

The first EUA, issued Dec. 11, for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for individuals 16 years of age and older was based on safety and effectiveness data from a randomized, controlled, blinded ongoing clinical trial of thousands of individuals.

To support the FDA’s approval decision today, the FDA reviewed updated data from the clinical trial which supported the EUA and included a longer duration of follow-up in a larger clinical trial population.

Specifically, in the FDA’s review for approval, the agency analyzed effectiveness data from approximately 20,000 vaccine and 20,000 placebo recipients ages 16 and older who did not have evidence of the COVID-19 virus infection within a week of receiving the second dose. The safety of Comirnaty was evaluated in approximately 22,000 people who received the vaccine and 22,000 people who received a placebo 16 years of age and older.

Based on results from the clinical trial, the Pfizer vaccine was 91% effective in preventing COVID-19 disease.

More than half of the clinical trial participants were followed for safety outcomes for at least four months after the second dose. Overall, approximately 12,000 recipients have been followed for at least 6 months.

The most commonly reported side effects by those clinical trial participants who received Comirnaty were pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain, chills, and fever. The vaccine is effective in preventing COVID-19 and potentially serious outcomes including hospitalization and death.

Additionally, the FDA conducted a rigorous evaluation of the post-authorization safety surveillance data pertaining to myocarditis and pericarditis following administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and has determined that the data demonstrate increased risks, particularly within the seven days following the second dose. The observed risk is higher among males under 40 years of age compared to females and older males. The observed risk is highest in males 12 through 17 years of age. Available data from short-term follow-up suggest that most individuals have had resolution of symptoms. However, some individuals required intensive care support. Information is not yet available about potential long-term health outcomes. The Comirnaty Prescribing Information includes a warning about these risks.

Ongoing Safety Monitoring

The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have monitoring systems in place to ensure that any safety concerns continue to be identified and evaluated in a timely manner. In addition, the FDA is requiring the company to conduct postmarketing studies to further assess the risks of myocarditis and pericarditis following vaccination with Comirnaty. These studies will include an evaluation of long-term outcomes among individuals who develop myocarditis following vaccination with Comirnaty. In addition, although not FDA requirements, the company has committed to additional post-marketing safety studies, including conducting a pregnancy registry study to evaluate pregnancy and infant outcomes after receipt of Comirnaty during pregnancy.

The FDA granted this application Priority Review. The approval was granted to BioNTech Manufacturing GmbH.

Related Information

Governor Cooper Declares May Military Appreciation Month in North Carolina

Community, Press Release
military appreciation month

RALEIGH: Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed May as Military Appreciation Month to honor the contributions and sacrifices North Carolina’s service members, veterans and their families have made for North Carolina and the nation.

“We owe a deep debt of gratitude to the servicemembers who have fought for our safety and freedom here and abroad,” Governor Cooper said. “This month is an opportunity to reflect on the tremendous sacrifices these brave men and women and their families have made to protect our freedom.”

North Carolina is home to the fifth-largest military presence in the nation, with more than 100,000 active duty military personnel and their families as well as approximately 725,000 military veterans.

North Carolina is home to seven major military installations including Fort Bragg Army Base, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Marine Corps Air Station New River, and the Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City.

The overall economic impact of North Carolina’s service members, veterans, and families exceeds $66 billion annually. Since 2015, NC DMVA has served as the central coordinating agency advocating for current and former military personnel and their families, and connecting them to services, benefits, and support. North Carolina has since been recognized as the most veteran-friendly state in the country.

“Our State has a long history of supporting the Armed Forces of the United States and we are proud to be home to the Department of Defense’s finest military installations,” said North Carolina Department of Military & Veterans Affairs (NC DMVA) Secretary Walter E. Gaskin, Lt. Gen (Ret.) “As we celebrate National Military Appreciation Month, we remember the ultimate sacrifice of so many North Carolinians and those stationed here, and we express our gratitude to service members and their families and recommit to doing our part to ensure that North Carolina’s military and veteran communities are prepared, well-supported, and enabled to carry out their mission when called upon.”

Since being appointed Secretary of NCDMVA in January, Secretary Gaskin has embarked on a “Listening Tour,” visiting military installations across the state to learn firsthand about the issues facing the installation members and their surrounding communities.

Read the Military Appreciation Month Proclamation.

Governor Encourages Residents to Prepare for Winter Weather

Community, Press Release
Winter Weather trees

RALEIGH: Winter Weather Preparedness Week is Dec. 6 – 12 and Governor Roy Cooper is encouraging North Carolinians to plan and prepare now, before potentially dangerous winter weather arrives.

“All North Carolinians should be prepared for inclement weather throughout the year,” Governor Cooper said. “This year has shown us just how unpredictable North Carolina’s weather can be.”

Governor Cooper urged residents to monitor changing weather conditions by listening to local media, update their plans and supply kits, and pay close attention to winter weather watches, warnings and advisories. Remember:

  • Winter Storm Watch is issued, when at least 3 inches of snow and/or ice accumulations of one-quarter inch or more within a 12 to 24 hour period are likely within the next 24 to 48 hours,
  • Winter Storm Warning is issued when at least 3 inches of snow and/or ice accumulations of one-quarter inch or more are likely within the next 24 hours,
  • A Winter Weather Advisory is issued when 1 to 3 inches of snow or ice accumulations of less than one-quarter inch are expected within the next 24 hours, causing travel difficulties.

To help ensure you are ready for winter weather, North Carolina Emergency Management officials urge you to:

  • Always keep at least a three-day supply of nonperishable food in your home.
  • Keep fresh batteries on hand for weather radios and flashlights.
  • Dress warmly. Wear multiple layers of thin clothing instead of a single layer of thick clothing.
  • Properly vent kerosene heaters and ensure any electric generators are operated outside and away from open windows or doors to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Never burn charcoal indoors.
  • Use a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radio or a weather alert app on your phone to monitor changing weather conditions.
  • Keep alternative heating sources and fire extinguishers on hand. Be sure your family knows how to use them.
  • Store an emergency kit in your vehicle. Include scraper, jumper cables, tow chain, sand/salt, blankets, flashlight, first-aid kit and road map.
  • Make an emergency supplies kit for your pet and include medical records, first-aid kit, enough canned/dry food and water for three to seven days and pet travel bag or carrier.
  • Do not leave pets outside for long periods of time.
  • Ensure your pet has a well-fitting collar.
  • Bring pets inside when temperatures drop below freezing.
  • Move livestock and other animals to a sheltered location with food and water.

If you must travel during bad weather, emergency officials remind motorists to leave plenty of room between you and other vehicles and, if driving on snow- or ice-covered roadways, reduce your speed. If conditions worsen, pull off the highway and remain in your vehicle. Do not set out on foot unless you can see a building close by where you can take shelter.

The Department of Public Safety and the National Weather Service work together to help North Carolinians plan and prepare for winter weather by providing accurate weather and safety information.

For more information on how to prepare for winter storms and other hazards that affect North Carolina, visit www.readync.org.

Image courtesy of Marko Milivojevic.

Mortimer Trails Project will increase forest sustainability

Community, Press Release
Mortimer Trails Project
On November 23, 2020, the Pisgah National Forest’s Grandfather Ranger District approved the Mortimer Trails Project. Planned in coordination with local partners, this project will increase the sustainability of the trail system and add 10 additional miles of mountain biking and hiking trails to the Wilson Creek Area in Caldwell and Avery Counties.
This decision is the culmination of years of community-driven collaboration and volunteer work. In 2015 the Grandfather Ranger District began a partnership with the community of local mountain bike users and volunteers to improve maintenance of Wilson Creek trails. Over the next 5 years an amazing amount of volunteer effort went into maintaining those trails. This volunteer work was made possible through a strong partnership with the

Northwest NC Mountain Bike Alliance, a chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA). Under this partnership, users saw restoration of some of their favorite area trails, including Woodruff Ridge and the “21 Jumps” section of the Wilson Ridge Trail.
Through these maintenance efforts, work began to formally assess needs for changes to the current trail systems, building off the needs identified in the 2013 Nantahala and Pisgah Trails Strategy. The strategy identified issues to address within the Mortimer area trails complex in order to provide sustainable trail experiences into the future. Specifically, the lack of connected mountain biking trails was highlighted as a need.
“The trails in Wilson Creek have long been loved by most who ride there for being the way they are,” said Paul Stahlschmidt, trail coordinator for the Northwest North Carolina Mountain Bike Alliance. “But there is a need for some changes, and this plan will make them even better.”
In 2018, the Northwest North Carolina Mountain Bike Alliance and the US Forest Service engaged stakeholders and users to gather feedback through a series of community meetings that focused on the vision of trail development in the area. From these visioning sessions three key goals emerged: (1) creating a more connected network of mountain bike trails to provide a better experience for users (2) relocating poorly aligned trail segments where there is resource damage to protect the health of the Wilson Creek Watershed, and (3) expanding trailhead access in sustainable locations.
In addition to the mountain bike community, a larger group of partners contributed to the project. These partners represent the local community of users, hiking groups, and watershed protection organizations working in the Wilson Creek area. Organizations include the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail, Trout Unlimited, and Wild South.
“The Mortimer Trails Project is a great example of how we can do more together,” said Lisa Jennings, Recreation and Trails Program Manager for the Grandfather District. “The partners put the hard work into making this project a reality. We are excited to bring more mountain bike trails and provide a better experience for users in this special piece of Pisgah.”
Work will begin this winter to construct new sections of trail on Yancey Ridge, Schoolhouse Ridge, and Jackson Knob Trails. This work is funded through a Santa Cruz Bicycles PayDirt Grant awarded to the Northwest NC Mountain Bike Alliance and a NC Recreation and Trails Program Grant awarded to the Grandfather District.
Additional work will take place on surrounding USFS roads through a partnership with Trout Unlimited.

Second COVID-19 Outbreak Identified at Graham Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center

News, Press Release
COVID-19 Outbreak
A second COVID-19 outbreak among staff of Graham Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, a long-term care facility, has been identified. The first outbreak had resolved and was closed. An outbreak in a long-term care facility is when two or more individuals test positive for COVID-19 within a 28 day period. Three staff members have tested positive.
No residents have tested positive. All staff are Graham County residents. Family members of the residents have been notified, and contact tracing is ongoing. Graham Healthcare has been following COVID-19 protocols, and routinely tests both staff and residents. They have been working with the Graham County Department of Public Health throughout the pandemic, and will continue to do so as the situation evolves.
The health department would like to remind the public that the following guidance is recommended for anyone who shows symptoms of COVID-19 in order to discontinue isolation (regardless of testing):
• At least 24 hours have passed since recovery defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath), AND
• At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.
People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
It is recommended that anyone who is a close contact of a positive individual quarantine for 14 days. If symptoms develop during that time, follow the above criteria before discontinuing isolation. Testing is available at the health department, OptumServe mobile site, Smoky Mountain Urgent Care, and Tallulah Community Health Center.
For more information, please visit the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus and NCDHHS’ website at www.ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus, which will also include future positive COVID-19 test results in North Carolina. The Graham County Department of Public Health Facebook page also provides regular updates.
If you believe that you may have COVID-19, please call the Health Department at 828-479-7900.

Back to Top