Hollister Man Sentenced For Cocaine Conspiracy

GREENVILLE – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that in federal court today, Senior United States District Judge Malcolm J. Howard, sentenced RANDY LYNCH, 50, of Hollister, North Carolina, to 96 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.  LYNCH previously pled guilty to this charge on November 9, 2015.  

On July 1, 2015, undercover agents with the Department of Homeland Security arranged a delivery of 7 kilograms of cocaine to LYNCH at a truck stop off of Interstate 85 in Vance County.  LYNCH drove a tow truck from his wrecker service business to the truck stop and met with agents.  Agents arrested LYNCH after he took possession of the 7 kilograms.  Agents seized $100,000 from LYNCH’S tow truck that LYNCH had brought to purchase the cocaine. During a search of LYNCH’S residence, agents recovered another $18,450 and two firearms. 

LYNCH had been the subject of a long-term investigation conducted by several federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, the United States Marshal Service, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office.  Agents determined during the investigation, which included interviews of LYNCH’S previous co-conspirators, that LYNCH was responsible for distributing 273 kilograms of cocaine since 1991.

Judge Howard also ordered LYNCH to forfeit the two firearms seized from his residence and $500,000, representing the gross proceeds of the conspiracy.  LYNCH satisfied the forfeiture order prior to sentencing by consenting to the forfeiture of the $100,000 seized upon his arrest and the $18,450 seized from his residence.  LYNCH satisfied the remaining $381,550 by selling his salvage yard business located in Hollister.

The federal prosecution was handled by Special Assistant United States Attorney Glenn Perry.  Mr. Perry is a prosecutor with the Pitt County District Attorney’s Office.  Pitt County District Attorney Kimberly Robb has assigned Mr. Perry to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force criminal matters.  Mr. Perry’s assignment to the United States Attorney’s Office has been made possible by grants funded by the Governor’s Crime Commission.  The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Steve West.