In Greeneville, Tennessee, Terrance Lamont Hines, a 42-year-old man from Kingsport, was handed a life sentence on April 29, 2024, by United States District Judge J. Ronnie Greer. The sentencing took place in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Judge Greer found Hines to be an armed career criminal and a career offender under federal laws, leading to his life imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release.
The conviction came after a five-day trial that concluded on June 26, 2023, where a federal jury found Hines guilty of several charges. These included conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl resulting in death, multiple counts of distributing fentanyl, possessing with intent to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl, possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and being a felon in possession of firearms.
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Evidence presented at the trial linked Hines to the December 3, 2020, overdose death of a 52-year-old woman in Sullivan County, Kingsport. The victim, who had been battling chronic pain and self-medicating, overdosed on fentanyl supplied by a distribution chain involving Hines and three co-defendants: Shaina K. Langford, Adam Presnell, and Robin Hutchins. Investigations revealed Hines sold fentanyl to Hutchins, who then passed it down the line, leading to the victim’s death.
Search warrants executed on Hines’ business and apartment uncovered significant evidence, including firearms and over 100 grams of fentanyl with a street value exceeding $116,000. The jury specifically found Hines responsible for supplying the fentanyl that caused the victim’s fatal overdose.
Hines’ co-defendants have also faced legal consequences, with sentences ranging from 84 to 120 months in prison. United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III emphasized the dangers of fentanyl and the commitment of law enforcement to prosecute those involved in its trafficking.
The case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement and communities. This case represents a continued effort to combat the fentanyl crisis affecting Tennessee and the nation.
Source: Read Original Release