Caldwell County Man Sentenced To Serve 14 Years In Federal Prison

51-year-old Larry Dewayne Colvin, Jr., of Lenoir, was sentenced Tuesday (August 7) to 168 months (14 years) in prison followed by five years of supervised release for drug and gun offenses. The announcement was made by Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Caldwell County Sheriff Alan Jones, Watauga County Sheriff Len Hagaman, and Lenoir Police Chief Brent Phelps were among those who joined U.S. Attorney King in making the announcement.

According to court documents and court proceedings, on December 12, 2022, law enforcement received information that Colvin was trafficking methamphetamine in Lenoir and surrounding areas. During the investigation, law enforcement arranged controlled buys during which they observed Colvin sell methamphetamine to a Confidential Informant (CI).

Court records show that on December 16, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Colvin’s residence in Lenoir, where they seized methamphetamine and a firearm. A second firearm, an ammunition magazine, drug trafficking paraphernalia, and more than $7,400 in cash drug proceeds were seized from a vehicle parked on the property.

According to court records, a second search warrant was executed at another location where Colvin was using a camper as a stash house for methamphetamine. From the camper, law enforcement seized more methamphetamine, five handguns, two rifles, and a shotgun. During an interview with Colvin, the defendant told law enforcement that he also hid methamphetamine at his workplace.

Law enforcement traveled to Colvin’s workplace where they seized over 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as $30,000 in cash drug proceeds from Colvin’s vehicle. On January 8, 2023, law enforcement in Lenoir responded to a call about Colvin communicating threats to an individual. Law enforcement encountered Colvin at a gas station, where he admitted to having a firearm in the vehicle. Law enforcement retrieved the firearm along with $2,500 in cash drug proceeds.

On October 31, 2023, Colvin pleaded guilty to 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 the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

Story: Rob Eastwood-WHKY