Chadbourn body shop owner charged with cocaine trafficking

By DEUCE NIVEN

    Cocaine possession charges followed search warrant raids on a body shop in Chadbourn and the Bladenboro home of its owner Wednesday, Columbus County Sheriff Chris Batten said.
    Larry Donnell McKenzie, 52, was arrested after the warrants were served as McKenzie Body Shop, commonly known as Harold’s Body Shop on North Brown Street in Whiteville, and at his home on Twisted Hickory Road, Bladenboro, Batten said in a news release.
    Mckenzie was charged with five counts each of trafficking by possession of cocaine, trafficking to sell cocaine, and maintaining a business with the purpose of selling cocaine.
    Taking part in the search warrant raid were investigators from the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office, the Chadbourn Police Department, Bladen County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Carolina SBI.
    “These search warrants are a result of an extensive investigation after multiple complaints from citizens in and around Chadbourn
about suspicious activity at the above locations,” Batten said. “We have reason to believe that this is the tip of the iceberg and there are others involved as well.”
    Detectives continue to follow leads in the case, Batten said.