Kenneth Eugene McCoy Gets 15 Years for Crack, Gun Crimes

Smithfield’s Kenneth Eugene McCoy, 44, is headed to federal prison for 183 months after being caught running a crack house fortified like a bunker. The hard time sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan in New Bern, includes five years of supervised release following his stint behind bars.

McCoy pleaded guilty on August 18, 2016, to two serious federal charges: Possession with Intent to Distribute 28 Grams or More of Cocaine Base (Crack) and a Quantity of Marijuana, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. The plea ends a probe that peeled back the layers of a dangerous operation rooted in his Johnston County residence.

The Smithfield Police Department launched the investigation after receiving credible tips about McCoy’s drug trafficking. Officers confirmed the intel by making a controlled buy of crack cocaine before securing a warrant. What they found on October 16, 2015, was worse than expected: over 28 grams of crack, a stash of marijuana, and two loaded handguns—including a stolen Hi Point firearm.

Inside McCoy’s bedroom, law enforcement also seized drug paraphernalia and $428.88 in cash—small change for a trafficker, but evidence of ongoing sales. The residence itself was rigged with reinforced entry points at both the front and rear doors, suggesting McCoy was preparing for confrontation, not casual visitors.

The case was a joint effort between the Smithfield Police Department, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, and forensic experts at the North Carolina State Crime Laboratory. The agencies methodically built a case that left no room for denial, culminating in federal prosecution.

Assistant United States Attorney S. Katherine Burnette prosecuted the case for the government, ensuring McCoy faced the full weight of federal law. With no leniency shown, the sentence sends a clear message: drug trafficking with a loaded gun is a one-way ticket to a federal cell.