Convicted Felon On State Parole Caught With More Than Two Kilograms Of Methamphetamine, A Machinegun, And Three Guns Is Sentenced To 17 Years In Prison

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Scottie Alan Keith Frady, 27, of Morganton, N.C., was sentenced today to 204 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking methamphetamine and illegal possession of firearms, including a machinegun, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Sheriff Banks Hinceman of the Burke County Sheriff's Office (BCSO), join U.S. Attorney King in making today's announcement.

According to court documents and court proceedings, on May 17, 2023, investigators were making an arrest of Frady for a post-release supervision warrant alleging that, among other things, Frady had absconded supervision. Law enforcement located Frady at a residence in Morganton and the defendant was taken into custody. During a search of the residence, law enforcement found more than 2.1 kilograms of methamphetamine, two loaded firearms and $1,518 in cash that belonged to the defendant. Investigators recovered from another residence in Rutherford County a machinegun and an AR type pistol that also belonged to Frady. During the investigation, law enforcement found pictures of some of the firearms that Frady had posted on social media. Law enforcement also recovered text messages between Frady and other individuals, where Frady discussed possessing some of the seized firearms.

On December 20, 2023, Frady pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a machinegun, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today's announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and the Burke County Sheriff's Office for their investigation of the case, and the U.S. Marshals Service's Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force and the North Carolina Department of Public Service's Division of Community Supervision for their invaluable assistance with Frady's apprehension.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Hess of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.