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Frink

Walker

Gregory Levern Walker and James Anthony Frink, both dealing from the Stanley Circle community on the outskirts of the Town of Brunswick, will be sentenced in January.

By BOB HIGH
Staff Writer

Gregory Levern Walker faces life in a federal prison, and James Anthony Frink is facing a minimum of 20 years in federal custody after their convictions last week in Raleigh on multiple drug charges.

The 39-year-old Walker, known widely as “C Man,” was convicted on five of six counts of conspiracy to sell crack cocaine, and the sale of the drug. Walker is likely to get an automatic life term, plus up to another 60 years.

Frink, 33, was convicted on four counts of selling crack cocaine to undercover buyers, plus selling a pistol in a drug deal. Frink could get 20 years for one drug deal, another seven for selling the weapon, and possibly another 30 years.

Both will be sentenced on Jan. 8, 2008.

“The message is simple. If a drug dealer wants to sell drugs and does it, then there’s a price to pay,” District Attorney Rex Gore said Wednesday.

“There has been a problem for a long time in the Stanley Circle area of Columbus County, and we’re committed to cleaning it up. The sheriff did a good job in these cases, and they’ve been rewarded for their efforts,” Gore added.

“If we had tried Walker and Frink in the state courts on the same charges, they would have faced a maximum of 35 months. We will continue to use the federal courts when appropriate and the opportunity arises to get long prison terms for drug dealers,” the district attorney declared.

Both will be sentenced on Jan. 8, 2008.

“The message is simple. If a drug dealer wants to sell drugs and does it, then there’s a price to pay,” District Attorney Rex Gore said Wednesday.

“There has been a problem for a long time in the Stanley Circle area of Columbus County, and we’re committed to cleaning it up. The sheriff did a good job in these cases, and they’ve been rewarded for their efforts,” Gore added.

“If we had tried Walker and Frink in the state courts on the same charges, they would have faced a maximum of 35 months. We will continue to use the federal courts when appropriate and the opportunity arises to get long prison terms for drug dealers,” the district attorney declared.

The federal jury heard testimony from Columbus County Drug Detective Sgt. Steven Worthington, Jail Administrator Capt. Alexander Singletary, plus an SBI agent and two agents from the federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) unit.

Conspiracy conviction

Chris Thomas, a member of Gore’s staff who has been handling cases at the state and federal level since 2002, handled the prosecution for the government. As prosecutor, he said he couldn’t comment on the cases until after sentencing.

Walker and Frink were convicted of conspiracy to sell more than 50 grams of crack cocaine in an operation from Aug. 14, 2006 through June 2007.

Walker and Frink were convicted of selling two ounces of cocaine on Aug. 14 of last year; another ounce of crack on Aug. 24, 2006; and two ounces of cocaine to an undercover ATF agent on Oct. 27, 2006.

Walker was found not guilty of selling an ounce of crack cocaine on Aug. 22, 2006, in a sale where Frink was convicted.

Informant’s testimony

Worthington noted an informant testified he saw Walker hand Frink a package of cocaine on Aug. 22, 2006, but the witness couldn’t swear it was the same cocaine he purchased from Frink a few minutes later.

Walker has a prior record in North Carolina showing a conviction for possession of cocaine with intent to sell in 2002, plus a count of false pretense the same year. He was sent to prison for a year.

Worthington testified about setting up the undercover buys, in cooperation with the ATF unit.

Singletary testified about the telephone system that records phone calls made by prisoners in the county jail.

Others involved

Evidence showed defendants other than Frink and Walker were included in conversations about drugs and money. Other persons named in the phone calls have been indicted here and will be tried in the state courts.

Worthington noted the delay in conviction and sentencing is for federal investigators to do a thorough background check on Walker and Frink. “What they’ll be sentenced to depends on their prior record and the judge’s decision in both cases,” the detective noted.

Gore said his office has been prosecuting drug cases from Brunswick, Bladen and Columbus counties in federal court for the past four years.

“This was one of the first cases from Columbus County to actually go to trial,” the DA said.
‘Woefully inadequate’

“The sheriff (Chris Batten) was correct when he said the state courts are many times woefully inadequate for drug crimes,” Gore pointed out.

He noted Columbus County’s commissioners face some hard decisions in the future to make sure they fund the sheriff’s needs. “The sheriff has to have the resources to provide quality cases to take to the federal level.

“Then, with quality cases, we’ll use our power to put the cases where they need to be handled,” the DA added. “Taking cases to federal court is a tool we’ll continue to use.”

Gore said he had used the federal system to gain asset forfeitures amounting to millions of dollars in drug cases across his three-county district.

“If the federal government doesn’t repeal the present drug laws, we’ll continue to use this method to attack the drug problems in my district,” the district attorney said.

Batten said the trial’s result guarantees Walker and Frink will be removed from the streets. “They won’t get a term that will have them back here in two years, giving us more problems. We’re taking aim on several others who have been involved in the drug business here for years.”