Skip to content
Triangle Local

Lumberton, Robeson County

Lumberton: Alberto Alegria sentenced to 12 and a half years in federal drug case

The U.S. Attorney's Office, as reported by The Robesonian, said a federal judge imposed the term after a June 16 guilty plea. WMBF independently named him and the prison length.

ConfirmedThe main facts are confirmed by official or first-hand sources.

By Triangle Local Staff · Published

What we know

Confirmed

  • A federal judge sentenced Alberto Alegria, 28, of Lumberton, to 12 and a half years in federal prison for selling cocaine and heroin throughout Eastern North Carolina, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, as reported by The Robesonian on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026.Confirmed by U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, via The Robesonian (Oct. 28, 2026)
  • WMBF, writing Wednesday evening, independently named Alegria, his age, Lumberton, and wrote that the term was 12 and a half years for selling those two drugs throughout Eastern North Carolina.Confirmed by WMBF (Oct. 28, 2026, 7:19 p.m. EDT)
  • A CBS 17 page that reprints a WBTW report, citing a Wednesday news release from that office, also named Alegria, 28, and wrote "12.5 years." That page is the same Nexstar article as WBTW, not a third newsroom.Confirmed by CBS 17 / WBTW share, citing U.S. Attorney's Office (posted Oct. 28, 2026, 4:17 p.m. Eastern)
  • The Robesonian, citing that office, wrote that Alegria pleaded guilty on June 16 to conspiracy to distribute over 11 pounds of cocaine and over two pounds of heroin, possession with intent to distribute more than one pound of cocaine and over two pounds of heroin, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The WBTW/CBS 17 page listed the same three counts and the June 16 date. WMBF did not print the plea date or those weights.Confirmed by U.S. Attorney's Office, via The Robesonian; CBS 17 / WBTW share
  • U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan imposed the sentence, The Robesonian wrote. The WBTW/CBS 17 page said a federal judge set the term and did not name her. WMBF did not name a judge.Confirmed by The Robesonian; comparison with WMBF and CBS 17 / WBTW
  • Investigators began looking at him in 2022, all three pages we read said. The Robesonian, citing the office, wrote that they suspected he was a major drug trafficker in Robeson County and that by August 2023 they were making controlled buys of cocaine and heroin from him.Confirmed by U.S. Attorney's Office, via The Robesonian; WMBF; CBS 17 / WBTW share
  • WMBF attributed that 2022 start and the August 2023 store finding to the Robeson County Sheriff's Office, not to the U.S. Attorney's Office.Confirmed by WMBF, citing Robeson County Sheriff's Office
  • The Robesonian, citing the office, wrote that investigators documented him receiving large shipments of cocaine and selling the drugs out of his store, Tienda Mexicana La Hacienda, which the office called a sham front used to distribute narcotics and move proceeds. The WBTW/CBS 17 page wrote that he was receiving large shipments of cocaine and heroin at that store.Confirmed by U.S. Attorney's Office, via The Robesonian; CBS 17 / WBTW share
  • The Robesonian and the WBTW/CBS 17 page both wrote that he used wire transfers from the store to send thousands of dollars in drug profits to a cartel in Mexico. WMBF, citing the sheriff's office, wrote that investigators found he was wiring thousands of dollars in drug profits to a cartel in Mexico.Confirmed by U.S. Attorney's Office, via The Robesonian; CBS 17 / WBTW share; WMBF, citing Robeson County Sheriff's Office
  • The Robesonian, citing the office, wrote that undercover buys, search warrants, and a traffic stop led to the seizure of more than 14 pounds of cocaine and over five pounds of heroin. WMBF, citing the sheriff's office, used the same seizure figures. The WBTW/CBS 17 page used "over 14 pounds" of cocaine and "over five pounds" of heroin. WMBF's headline added those two amounts and called the total "over 19 pounds."Confirmed by U.S. Attorney's Office, via The Robesonian; WMBF; CBS 17 / WBTW share
  • The Robesonian wrote that Ellis Boyle, the U.S. attorney, made the announcement after sentencing, and that the IRS, DEA, SBI, Robeson County Sheriff's Office, Hoke County Sheriff's Office, Lumberton Police Department, and Fayetteville Police Department investigated the case. WMBF and the WBTW/CBS 17 page we read did not print that agency list.Confirmed by The Robesonian only

Still unknown

  • The exact prison term in months. The Robesonian and WMBF wrote "12 and a half years." The WBTW/CBS 17 page wrote "12.5 years" and, in its opening sentence, "more than 12 years."
  • Whether Alegria plans to appeal
  • A justice.gov page for this release that we could open. The Robesonian credited the office for a photo. The WBTW/CBS 17 page cited a Wednesday news release
  • A street address for the store. None of the pages we read list one

What this means for you

Public safety
This story is a court sentence, not an emergency notice. It is not an official or emergency source. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

Instructions from U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, via The Robesonian

This site is not the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Robeson County Sheriff's Office, or the Lumberton Police Department. For the written announcement, use the Eastern District release if it is posted. This is not an emergency service. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

What happened

In Lumberton, a federal judge sentenced Alberto Alegria, 28, to 12 and a half years in prison for selling cocaine and heroin in Eastern North Carolina, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office as reported by The Robesonian.

WMBF, writing Wednesday evening, independently used the same name, age, and prison length. A CBS 17 page that reprints WBTW wrote "12.5 years" and, in its opening sentence, "more than 12 years." That page is the same Nexstar article, not a third newsroom.

Prosecutors said he pleaded guilty on June 16 to a conspiracy covering over 11 pounds of cocaine and over two pounds of heroin, to possessing more than one pound of cocaine and over two pounds of heroin with intent to distribute, and to a money-laundering conspiracy. The shared Nexstar account listed those three counts and that date. WMBF skipped the plea date and the weights.

U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan imposed the term, The Robesonian wrote. The other two accounts did not name her.

Investigators began the case in 2022, all three accounts said. The newspaper, citing the office, wrote that they suspected he was a major trafficker in Robeson County and that by August 2023 they were making controlled buys. WMBF attributed that start, and the later store finding, to the Robeson County Sheriff's Office.

The office, as The Robesonian printed it, said he received large shipments of cocaine and sold drugs from Tienda Mexicana La Hacienda, which the release called a sham front. The WBTW/CBS 17 page added heroin to those shipments.

All three pages wrote that money from the sales was wired to a cartel in Mexico. The newspaper and the Nexstar page tied that to the office. WMBF tied it to the sheriff's office.

Undercover buys, search warrants, and a traffic stop led to the seizure of more than 14 pounds of cocaine and over five pounds of heroin, The Robesonian and WMBF both wrote. WMBF's headline added those two amounts and called the total "over 19 pounds."

The newspaper listed the IRS, DEA, SBI, the Robeson and Hoke sheriff's offices, Lumberton police, and Fayetteville police as the agencies on the case.

This site is not the U.S. Attorney's Office or a local sheriff's office. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

What we don't know yet

The pages we read do not give the sentence in months. They also do not say whether he will appeal, and they do not list a store address. A justice.gov copy of the release did not load here.

What happens next

He is to serve the term in the federal system. We will update this story if the court posts the exact months.

Photos

Text-only. No office, newspaper, or station photos are used here.

Why it matters

A Lumberton man is going to federal prison after a guilty plea in a Robeson County cocaine and heroin case. Neighbors need the office's own figures as the newspapers printed them, the second account we can read, and that the pages do not state an exact month count for the term.

Updates

  1. Oct 28, 2026, 8:05 PM

    The Robesonian, citing the U.S. Attorney's Office, said Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced Alberto Alegria, 28, of Lumberton, to 12 and a half years after a June 16 guilty plea. WMBF independently named him and that term. A CBS 17 page reprints the WBTW account of the same release.

Sources

  1. Lumberton man sentenced to 12 years for selling cocaine, heroin (The Robesonian, Oct. 28, 2026: Alberto Alegria, 28, of Lumberton; 12 and a half years; U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced Wednesday; June 16 plea to conspiracy to distribute over 11 pounds of cocaine and over two pounds of heroin, possession with intent to distribute more than one pound of cocaine and over two pounds of heroin, and conspiracy to commit money laundering; 2022 suspicion; August 2023 controlled buys; Tienda Mexicana La Hacienda; large shipments of cocaine; wire transfers to a cartel in Mexico; more than 14 pounds of cocaine and over five pounds of heroin; U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan; IRS, DEA, SBI, Robeson County Sheriff's Office, Hoke County Sheriff's Office, Lumberton Police Department, Fayetteville Police Department. Photo courtesy of the office. Prosecutor, DEA, ATF, SBI, and IRS quotes, Operation Flip Switch, and Executive Order 14159 framing are not used here. Text-only; no Robesonian or office photos used.)

    Official sourcePublished by U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, via The Robesonian · Checked Oct 28, 2026, 8:00 PM

  2. Robeson County man sentenced after over 19 pounds of drugs sold (WMBF, Oct. 28, 2026, 7:19 p.m. EDT: Alberto Alegria, 28; 12 and a half years; selling cocaine and heroin throughout Eastern North Carolina; investigation began in 2022, Robeson County Sheriff's Office said; August 2023, store Tienda Mexicana La Hacienda used as a front, according to RCSO; controlled purchases; wiring thousands of dollars in drug profits to a cartel in Mexico, RCSO said; more than 14 pounds of cocaine and over 5 pounds of heroin. Headline added those two amounts as over 19 pounds. Text-only; no WMBF photos used.)

    Published by WMBF · Checked Oct 28, 2026, 8:00 PM

  3. NC man sentenced after officers seize 14 lbs. of cocaine and 5 lbs. of heroin in Robeson County probe: Feds (CBS 17 page reprinting WBTW, Sebastian Fall, posted Oct. 28, 2026, 4:17 p.m. Eastern, updated 4:50 p.m.: originalSource is WBTW; Alberto Alegria, 28; 12.5 years; U.S. Attorney's Office news release on Wednesday; lede said more than 12 years; June 16 plea to the same three counts The Robesonian listed; 2022 start; August 2023 controlled buys; large shipments of cocaine and heroin at Tienda Mexicana La Hacienda; sham-front quote from the release; wire transfers to a cartel in Mexico; arrest during a traffic stop; over 14 pounds of cocaine and over five pounds of heroin. Read via the station's public WordPress JSON because the HTML page returned 403 here. This is the same Nexstar article as WBTW, not a third newsroom. Text-only; no CBS 17 or office photos used.)

    Published by CBS 17 / WBTW · Checked Oct 28, 2026, 8:00 PM

Related stories