Rodney Oneal Lavan, 59, of Hickory, was sentenced to serve five to eight years in prison following his conviction for possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and admission of habitual felon status.
The Honorable Nathaniel J. Poovey, Superior Court Judge from Catawba County, imposed terms of the active sentence after Lavan entered a guilty plea during Catawba County Superior Court on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.
The defendant will serve his period of incarceration in custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections.
His sentence length was enhanced by prior felony convictions in Catawba County for possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine (June 1994), selling cocaine (May 2000) and habitual larceny (July 2020).
A traffic stop on April 15, 2025, led to the discovery and seizure of illegal substances from the defendant and his vehicle.
When the deputy approached the vehicle, he saw a smoking pipe in plain view, and Lavan said he had drugs on him when asked. Once out of the vehicle, the defendant began stomping the ground in an attempt to destroy additional narcotics. Some of the powdery substance was seized, and additional substances were found in various locations of the vehicle.
Testing at the State Crime lab confirmed the substances to be fentanyl and cocaine.
Deputy Kyle Honeycutt handled the investigation for the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant District Attorney Taylor Rockett prosecuted the matter for the State with aid from Legal Assistant Britnee Ulsamer.