Armed Fayetteville Drug Trafficker Who Led Law Enforcement on Dangerous High-Speed Chase Sentenced to Over 27 Years

<_w3a_listitem listvalue="RALEIGH" datavalue="RALEIGH"><_w3a_listitem listvalue="GREENVILLE" datavalue="GREENVILLE"><_w3a_listitem listvalue="NEW BERN" datavalue="NEW BERN"><_w3a_listitem listvalue="WILMINGTON" datavalue="WILMINGTON"><_w3a_listitem listvalue="ELIZABETH CITY" datavalue="ELIZABETH CITY">NEW BERN, N.C. -A Fayetteville man was sentenced to 327 months in prison for armed drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession. Nathan Omar Frink, aka "Ray Nate," age 41, pled guilty to the charges on September 13, 2023.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, on May 31, 2022, officers with the Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by Frink for an expired license plate tag. Frink refused to pull over and began driving recklessly by crossing over into a turning lane and passing multiple vehicles. During the pursuit, Frink reached speeds of more than 80 miles per hour (MPH) in a 45 MPH zone. Due to the dangerous speeds, the FPD called off the chase. Frink's vehicle then collided with another occupied vehicle and Frink fled on foot but was quickly apprehended and arrested. No injuries were sustained by the occupants of the car that was struck by Frink's car. After searching Frink and his car, law enforcement located more than $17,000 in cash, a loaded 9mm handgun, a loaded AK-47 with a high-capacity magazine, marijuana, cocaine, fentanyl, heroin and assorted drug paraphernalia. Witnesses who spoke with investigators dated Frink's drug trafficking to starting as early as 2016 and continuing until his arrest. Frink has nine prior felony convictions, including four for drug trafficking, and three for illegal firearm possession.

This investigation was a part of Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by <_w3a_listitem listvalue="Choose an item."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle" datavalue="U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle"><_w3a_listitem listvalue="U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan" datavalue="U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan"><_w3a_listitem listvalue="U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III" datavalue="U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III"><_w3a_listitem listvalue="Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II" datavalue="Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II"><_w3a_listitem listvalue="Senior U.S. District Judge W. Earl Britt" datavalue="Senior U.S. District Judge W. Earl Britt"><_w3a_listitem listvalue="Senior U.S. District Judge Malcolm J. Howard" datavalue="Senior U.S. District Judge Malcolm J. Howard">U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Fayetteville Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Webb and Casey Peaden prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-000248-FL.