Inmate At Johnston Correctional Charged With Drug Trafficking

SMITHFIELD — An inmate at Johnston Correctional Institution may face additional prison time after being charged with drug trafficking while in custody.

Joshua Sergei Landenberger, 35, of Raleigh, was already serving a 3½-year sentence following his May 2023 conviction in Wake County for obtaining property by false pretense and possession of stolen goods.

According to authorities, a routine security search on July 7, 2025, led to the discovery of suspected narcotics in Landenberger’s possession. A correctional officer conducting a pat-down reportedly found three small bags hidden in the inmate’s pants pocket.

The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office dispatched a narcotics investigator to the facility, where the substance was collected and later tested positive for methamphetamine. Officials estimate the 3.1 ounces of meth had a potential street value of approximately $8,900.

Following a formal investigation, Landenberger was charged on August 13 with trafficking methamphetamine and possession of a controlled substance on prison or jail premises.

The case remains under investigation as officials work to determine how the drugs were smuggled into the prison.

According to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, Landenberger has since been transferred and is currently housed at Columbus Correctional Institution in Whiteville.