News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2008

Triad Drug Trafficker Sentenced On Drug and Money Laundering Charges
Bernard Barr to Serve 360 Month Sentence and Forfeit up to $2,000,000 in Drug Proceeds

MAR 5 -- (Greensboro, NC) - BERNARD NORVELL BARR, aka “B-Mac,” of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has been sentenced to 360 months in federal prison on narcotics and money laundering charges.

Anna Mills Wagoner, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, announced the sentencing. BARR, age 29, was sentenced on March 5, 2008, in Greensboro, before United States District Judge William L. Osteen, Jr. In July 2007, a federal grand jury indicted BARR. On September 25, 2007, BARR pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering . Judge Osteen sentenced BARR to 360 months imprisonment, ten years supervised release, and a $200 special assessment. BARR was also ordered to forfeit up to $2,000,000 and acknowledged that this amount constituted proceeds of the criminal violations to which he plead guilty.

The investigation revealed that BARR was involved in large scale drug trafficking since at least 2002, and distributed more than 50 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride during that time period. The cocaine generally was transported to the Middle District from Atlanta, Georgia, by either BARR or his co-conspirators and then distributed in Winston-Salem and Greensboro.

The investigation further revealed that despite reporting no income for tax purposes, BARR spent large sums of money on jewelry (including a gold chain with approximately 79 carats of blue and white diamonds and a gold “B-MAC” charm with approximately 108 carats of blue and white diamonds)and vehicles (including a 2005 Porsche Cayenne, a 2004 Bentley GT, a 2006 Mercedes Benz CLS500, and a 2007 Mercedes CL550). BARR typically placed the vehicles in the names of nominees to conceal the true ownership.

The case against BARR was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, and the Winston-Salem Police Department.

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