Rebecca Lynn Barker, Methamphetamine Trafficking, North Carolina 2023

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – In a major blow to the methamphetamine trade in Western North Carolina, Rebecca Lynn Barker, 50, of Sylva, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for her role in a large-scale trafficking ring.

According to court documents and testimony, Barker was part of a conspiracy that trafficked over 36 kilograms of methamphetamine in Haywood, Buncombe, and Jackson Counties, as well as Georgia, between April 2019 and August 2021.

Law enforcement agencies, including the Western District’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), used controlled buys, seizures, and search warrants to dismantle the operation, recovering thousands of dollars in drug proceeds and nine firearms.

Barker pleaded guilty on August 4, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine.

Sentencing Barker to 188 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Dena J. King praised the efforts of law enforcement agencies in bringing the case to a successful conclusion.

Barker’s co-defendants have also faced sentencing, with various prison terms and supervised release periods handed down. The case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of methamphetamine trafficking on communities and the importance of continued law enforcement efforts to combat this scourge.

Barker is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

As this case demonstrates, the Grimy Times will continue to shine a light on the crimes that plague our communities and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.

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