NC’s Catawba County.In a troubling Catawba County case involving numerous drug scenes, a Hickory woman pleaded guilty to fentanyl trafficking and neglecting to report an overdose death, earning her a sentence of six to eight years in jail.
Carissa Lochbaum admitted to possessing fentanyl, gun
On May 25, 2024, Catawba County deputies stopped 33-year-old Carissa Lynn Lochbaum during a traffic stop. Drugs and a gun were found in the car during a search. In her police interrogation, Lochbaum acknowledged that the narcotics belonged to her and that she had additional fentanyl in a hotel room when she was there.
The criminal charges were brought when the State Crime Lab’s subsequent analysis verified that the material found was a trafficking quantity of fentanyl.
Case linked to earlier fatal overdose incident
Four months after Lochbaum was connected to a woman’s death from a suspected overdose, authorities disclosed that the trafficking charges were brought against him. A woman was found dead in a car in an apartment building’s parking lot on January 5, 2024. Due to Lochbaum’s presence at the site, investigators from the Long View Police Department were able to trace the incident back to him.
Law enforcement claims that after the woman overdosed and died, Lochbaum assisted a male associate in moving her body into the automobile. She said that she knew the victim was dead but decided not to notify the police.
Court imposes fine and prison sentence
Along with her jail sentence, Lochbaum was also required to pay a $500,000 mandated fee.
Do you think that North Carolina’s fentanyl trafficking penalties are severe enough to deter future offenses? Tell us what you think atsaludastandard-sentinel.com.
