The Lenoir County Sheriff's Narcotics Investigations Division was given a mission many years ago by Sheriff Ronnie Ingram to not only arrest dealers and users, but to identify the bigger suppliers and bring them to justice in the federal system with the large amounts of drugs they were moving.

Sheriff Ronnie Ingram said, "this type of detailed investigation takes months, and years to properly document, identify and locate the serious the suppliers in our area. Drug dealers should know that we are not done. The knock at your door could be next."

This week, the Sheriff's Office received a list of defendants from the US Attorney's Office that were sentenced in federal court from the investigative efforts in Lenoir County that stem back to the beginning of 2019.

Sheriff Ingram added, "when you arrest people for drug charges, they are sometimes home before our staff finish the paperwork. Lenoir County and our helping agencies are building cases to catch drug suppliers, prove their guilt and put them in prison... and you can see from their sentences in federal court, that these were the people we needed to go after."

Since January 2020, the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division has worked this joint opreation with the Goldsboro/Wayne County Drug Task Force, Kinston Police Department, Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, Duplin County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations, ATF and the DEA.

9 YEAR FEDERAL SENTENCE - Kenyon Edward GAINEY of Kinston, North Carolina - On July 15, 2020, GAINEY plead guilty to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1). GAINEY was sentenced to 108 months imprisonment in the Federal Bureau of Prisons followed by 5 years supervised release.

9.5 YEAR FEDERAL SENTENCE - Christopher WALKER of Pink Hill, North Carolina - On October 7, 2020, WALKER plead guilty to Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846 and Possess with the intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of a mixture of substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and aiding and abetting, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1). WALKER was sentenced to 112 months imprisonment in the Federal Bureau of Prisons followed by 5 years supervised release.

6 YEAR FEDERAL SENTENCE - Jason HARPER of Pink Hill, North Carolina - On December 3, 2020, Harper plead guilty to Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fifty grams (50) or more of actual methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846 and Possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1). HARPER was sentenced to 72 months imprisonment in the Federal Bureau of Prisons followed by 5 years supervised release.

7 YEAR FEDERAL SENTENCE - Tyler Ray WARING of Kinston, North Carolina - On February 10, 2021, WARING plead guilty to Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fifty grams (50) or more of actual methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846 and Possess with the intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of a mixture of substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and aiding and abetting, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1). WARING was sentenced to 84 months imprisonment in the Federal Bureau of Prisons followed by 5 years supervised release.

11 YEAR FEDERAL SENTENCE - Dylan HARPER of Seven Springs, North Carolina – On August 25, 2021, plead guilty to Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fifty grams (50) or more of actual methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, Possess and distribute of a quantity or a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841 (a)(1) and Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. HARPER was sentenced to 132 months imprisonment in the Federal Bureau of Prisons followed by 5 years supervised release.

7 YEAR FEDERAL SENTENCE - Taylor Nicole MANNING of LaGrange, North Carolina - On October 29, 2021, MANNING plead guilty to Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fifty (50) grams of more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, two counts of Distribute a quantity of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841 (a)(1) and Distribute fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine and heroin, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841 (a)(1). MANNING was sentenced to 84 months imprisonment in the Federal Bureau of Prisons followed by 5 years supervised release.

10 YEAR 3 MONTH SENTENCE - Ernie JAMES of Sneads Ferry, North Carolina - On January 11, 2022, JAMES plead guilty to Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846 and Possess with the intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of a mixture of substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and aiding and abetting, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1). JAMES was sentenced to 123 months imprisonment in the Federal Bureau of Prisons followed by 5 years supervised release. There were others arrested during this investigation that were not listed, due to these individuals having completed their sentences received by the courts and since been released from the Bureau of Prisons.