Hickory Man Gets Almost 20 Years In Federal Prison

A Hickory man was sentenced to 235 months (19.5 years) in Federal Prison, followed by five years of supervised release for drug trafficking and firearm offenses.

A news release from U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina indicates 32-year old Koby Dale Tevepaugh shot a firearm at a neighbor and proceeded to barricade himself in his home in November of 2021. Upon his surrender, law enforcement seized four kilograms of methamphetamine, $189,270 in cash, and five firearms from Tevepaugh’s residence. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized an additional $22,465 in drug proceeds.

Tevepaugh has multiple prior convictions for breaking and entering, first degree burglary, and felony drug offenses, which resulted in an increased sentence.

The defendant had already pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of, and possession with intent to distribute, methamphetamine and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons.

Photo: Catawba County Sheriff’s Office