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Kingsport Man Sentenced to Life for Fentanyl Overdose Death
A Kingsport man has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in a fentanyl overdose death. Terrance Lamont Hines, 42, of Kingsport, Tennessee, was sentenced to life in prison by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.
The sentence was handed down on April 29, 2024, after a five-day trial, during which a federal jury found Hines guilty of conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl with a resulting death in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(A), multiple counts of distributing fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), possessing with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B), possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), and possessing firearms by a convicted felon in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g).
The victim, a 52-year-old Kingsport woman, died in her home in Sullivan County on December 3, 2020, after overdosing on fentanyl. An autopsy and toxicology tests revealed that the victim had overdosed on fentanyl, which she had been self-medicating with due to chronic pain.
A lengthy investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kingsport Police Department, established that Hines had supplied the fentanyl that resulted in the victim’s death. The investigation also revealed that Hines distributed the fentanyl through a series of lower-level dealers and users, including codefendants Shaina K. Langford, 34, of Jonesborough, Tennessee, Adam Presnell, 37, of Knoxville, Tennessee, and Robin Hutchins, 63, of Kingsport, Tennessee.
Following the identification of Hines, investigators coordinated three controlled purchases of fentanyl from him. The investigators also obtained search warrants for Hines’ business, OD Records, and his apartment, both located in Kingsport. When executing those search warrants on July 20, 2021, investigators located evidence that was introduced at trial, including a 9mm pistol, over 100 grams of fentanyl with a street value exceeding $116,000, $1,400 in cash, an assault rifle, and other drug paraphernalia.
Hines’ codefendants have been sentenced or are awaiting sentencing. Lanford was sentenced on November 20, 2023, to 120 months in prison. Presnell was sentenced on January 3, 2024, to 84 months in prison. Hutchins entered a plea of guilty on June 12, 2023, and she is scheduled to be sentenced on August 19, 2024.
“Fentanyl is an exceedingly dangerous drug, and overdose deaths from fentanyl have become all too common across Tennessee and the nation,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to use every available resource to prosecute those who traffic fentanyl to provide justice to the victims and to deter others who might be considering trafficking in fentanyl.”
Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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