WHITEVILLE, NC (WWAY) -- A Columbus County jury has convicted former Fair Bluff Police Chief Marty Lewis on two of three counts in his drug trial.
The jury found Lewis guilty of conspiracy and and sale, delivery and possession with intent to sell oxycodone. They found him not guilty of cocaine possession.
This morning the defense and the prosecutor gave their closing statements before the jury was sent off for deliberation.
The defense went first. Attorney Michael Ramos told the jury they should be looking through the lens of Lewis and not any other agent that took the stand. Ramos said Lewis was understaffed in Fair Bluff and doing his duties as a law enforcement officer.
"He's got himself and one other officer, and he's still got to do his job," Ramos said. "We know there was a very serious drug problem in Fair Bluff, and he was trying to do something about it."
Assistant DA Chris Thomas told the jury that if Lewis needed help with a drug investigation, he should have called the SBI. Then Thomas questioned why Lewis was kissing and sexting former Town Clerk Tamika Packer as part of this "investigation."
"He expects you folks to believe that it is part of his reasonable police authority to go get busy behind the buses at West Columbus High School," Thomas said. "Part of his reasonable police activity?"
The jury began deliberating around noon and returned its verdict around 4 p.m.
"I'm sure everyone is disappointed about what they learned about Marty Lewis," Thomas said after the verdict. "I'm hoping that Fair Bluff can heal, and I hope that this verdict instills some confidence in law enforcement, because we're very proud of the law enforcement in Columbus County and the SBI. They do an outstanding job."
The judge sentenced Lewis to a minimum of seven years in prison and fined him $100,000. He was taken into custody immediately.
