Lenoir man given sentence of five to seven years of prison

LENOIR, NC (May 8, 2017)…James Clifford Sharpe, 41, of Lenoir, was given an active prison sentence of five to seven years for pleading guilty to manufacturing methamphetamine during Caldwell County Superior Court on Thursday, May 4, 2017.

The Honorable Daniel A. Kuehnert, Superior Court Judge from Burke County, imposed the sentence for Sharpe, who will serve his time of incarceration in custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections.

The offense took place March 10, 2016. Agents of the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Department ICE Unit received an anonymous tip with information that Sharpe was cooking methamphetamine at a Grassy Knob Lane residence.

Upon arrival at the residence, agents noticed various items indicative of drug activity outside the house, including a plastic 2-liter bottle containing remnants of a methamphetamine lab.

After obtaining a search warrant for the home’s interior, agents recovered more items consistent with the manufacture of methamphetamine.

Agents with the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Department ICE Unit investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Andrew Jennings. Agents with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation also responded and assisted with cleanup of the scene.