Arrest Made in Drug and Firearm Charges in and Around Harnett County

RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announces the arrest yesterday of one defendant pursuant to a federal indictment for drug and firearms charges.

A 12-count indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on December 12, 2017.  The indictment charges JOHN ANDREW PIPKIN, aka “Puppy,” 58, of Erwin, NC with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base (crack), various drug offenses, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Lawrence J. Cameron is prosecuting the case for the government.