Hickory woman sentenced for trafficking fentanyl, concealing overdose death

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Carissa Lynn Lochbaum, 33, of Hickory, was sentenced to six to eight years in prison following her plea to trafficking fentanyl and concealing/failing to report a death.

She will also be required to pay a mandatory fine of $500,000.

During a traffic stop by deputies with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office on May 25, 2024, a search revealed drugs and a handgun. During an interview, Lochbaum said they were hers. She also admitted that the drugs found in a hotel room where she was staying also belonged to her.

The drugs were sent to the State Crime Lab for analysis. Results showed that they were a trafficking amount of fentanyl.

The trafficking offense came four months after Lochbaum’s involvement in a concealment of a death case.

Investigation by the Long View Police Department showed that a female victim was found dead in a vehicle from an overdose in the parking lot of an apartment complex on January 5, 2024.

At some point, Lochbaum picked up a male companion who had left the victim in the car. Lochbaum had knowledge of the female’s death but did not take any action to report it. She admitted she knew the victim died from an overdose and should have reported it.

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