Johnnie Lee Roy Lail
Lail pleaded guilty to felony larceny, possession of stolen motor vehicle, possession of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia, possession of firearm by a felon and failure to register as a sex offender. His sentence was enhanced by his habitual felon status that stemmed from previous felony convictions for possession of stolen motor vehicle (August 2007 and September 2022) and obtaining property by false pretense (March 2012), all in Catawba County.
On August 10, 2024, the defendant took a vehicle from a vacant residence and was found in possession of it a short distance away when deputies arrived on the scene. Officers went to serve warrants on Lail at his residence on July 29, 2025. Lail attempted to run into a wooded area and was observed throwing something after reaching into his pants pocket. After he was taken into custody, officers checked the area and found a small bag of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia.
On September 2, 2025, Lail was found to be in constructive possession of a Taurus .380 handgun. He previously had been convicted of possessing a stolen motor vehicle in Catawba County Superior Court in September 2022. Lail was arrested and charged with failing to register as a sex offender on March 16, 2026. He failed to return his verification notice to the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office by 5 p.m. on March 4, 2026, as he was lawfully required to do. He previously had been convicted in November 2009 in Catawba County of second-degree kidnapping.
Story: Rob Eastwood-WHKY