Lenoir Methamphetamine Trafficker Is Sentenced To 14 Years In Prison for Drug and Gun Offenses

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LENOIR, N.C. — Larry Dewayne Colvin, Jr., 51, of Lenoir, North Carolina, was sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. The sentence was announced today by Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

The case was a collaborative effort involving the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lenoir Police Department.

Court documents revealed that on December 12, 2022, law enforcement officials received a tip that Colvin was trafficking methamphetamine in Lenoir and the surrounding areas. Following an investigation, authorities conducted controlled drug purchases in which Colvin was observed selling methamphetamine to a Confidential Informant (CI).

On December 16, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Colvin’s residence in Lenoir, leading to the seizure of methamphetamine and a firearm. Further searches uncovered additional firearms, including five handguns, two rifles, a shotgun, and drug trafficking paraphernalia. Over $7,400 in cash, believed to be drug proceeds, was also confiscated from a vehicle on the property.

A subsequent search at a secondary location, where Colvin was using a camper as a stash house, resulted in the seizure of more methamphetamine and additional firearms. During an interview, Colvin informed law enforcement that he had also hidden methamphetamine at his workplace. A search of Colvin’s vehicle at his workplace led to the discovery of over 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine and $30,000 in cash drug proceeds.

Colvin pleaded guilty on October 31, 2023, to charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to a federal prison facility to serve his sentence.

The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven R. Kaufman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) William Wiseman, who is also a state prosecutor assigned by District Attorney Spencer Merriweather to assist the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. This case was prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a national program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through community collaboration and strategic enforcement.