NORTH CAROLINA METH TRAFFICKER SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 14 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON

WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA — Lara Joy Ezell, 42, has been sentenced to more than 14 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine following a joint investigation by federal and local law enforcement in eastern North Carolina.

Ezell pleaded guilty on June 10, 2026, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II imposed the sentence.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, the investigation began in April 2025 when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Dunn Police Department opened an investigation into Ezell’s drug trafficking activity.

During the investigation, law enforcement officers conducted multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Ezell.

Investigators also determined that between June 2024 and April 2025, Ezell possessed and distributed approximately 1.3 pounds of Ice, also known as crystal methamphetamine.

That amount placed the case well beyond a single street-level sale and into a broader trafficking pattern involving repeated distribution over an extended period.

Federal prosecutors also pointed to Ezell’s prior criminal history.

Her North Carolina state convictions include driving while impaired, possession of drug paraphernalia, larceny, financial fraud, possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance, possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, and additional larceny offenses.

U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle described Ezell as a repeat offender who returned to drug trafficking despite numerous prior state convictions.

Boyle said federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of North Carolina intend to continue pursuing individuals who distribute dangerous narcotics for profit.

The case also reflects the role controlled purchases continue to play in narcotics investigations.

Controlled buys can allow investigators to document repeated distribution activity, establish direct links between a suspect and narcotics transactions, identify patterns of conduct, and build evidence supporting federal prosecution.

The April 2025 investigation ultimately produced evidence showing Ezell’s involvement in methamphetamine distribution across a period stretching back to June 2024.

The sentencing follows her guilty plea rather than a trial conviction, meaning the underlying federal conduct is no longer being presented only as an allegation.

Ezell admitted to the conspiracy and distribution charges before receiving the more than 14-year federal sentence.

Michael J. Connolly, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division, said the case demonstrated the value of federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships and that the investigation disrupted methamphetamine distribution and brought Ezell to justice.

Dunn Police Chief Lynn Gay also emphasized the role of interagency cooperation and said investigators would continue following evidence beyond local jurisdictional boundaries when necessary.

The case was investigated through collaboration between the ATF and the Dunn Police Department.

The involvement of both agencies reflects a common federal-local enforcement model used in narcotics cases where local intelligence, controlled purchases, and community-level investigative work are combined with federal resources and prosecution authority.

Methamphetamine trafficking remains a serious enforcement priority because of the drug’s high addictive potential, the violence often associated with distribution networks, and the broader damage caused by long-term stimulant abuse.

Ice, also known as crystal methamphetamine, was the form of meth attributed to Ezell during the investigation.

The approximately 1.3 pounds attributed to Ezell represented a substantial quantity for repeated distribution.

Federal prosecutors also highlighted Ezell’s extensive prior North Carolina criminal record when announcing the sentence.

Ezell’s federal case brought together her recent methamphetamine trafficking activity with a longer record of criminal conduct documented in North Carolina courts.

The prosecution was announced by U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle following sentencing by Chief Judge Myers.

Ezell will now serve more than 14 years in federal prison for her role in methamphetamine trafficking in eastern North Carolina.

The case closes another federal prosecution built from controlled purchases, interagency cooperation, and a sustained investigation into repeated drug distribution activity.

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