Hamblen Co. Man Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison

A Hamblen County man will be spending possibly the next 20 years in prison after being sentenced yesterday in federal court. On Monday in Greeneville, 62 year old Lynn Richard Norton of Russellville was sentenced to 240 months in prison followed by 5 years supervised release, this after a federal jury convicted Norton of conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in March of 2021. According to evidence presented at trial, back in 2019, Norton conspired to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine with James Ward…who testified that he supplied Norton with two to four ounces of methamphetamine per week, and on two occasions, Norton sold Ward methamphetamine. On April 8, 2019, Norton sold methamphetamine and a Bryco Arms 9 mm pistol to a confidential informant who was working with the Hamblen County Sheriff’s Office. The conviction and sentence resulted from an investigation by the Hamblen County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI and the ATF.