Crazy Dale: New book and podcast discuss how one man and a small town became a port for illegal drugs in the 80’s

SOUTHPORT, N.C. (WWAY) – In a story that sounds stranger than fiction but is indeed fact, Varnamtown in Brunswick County was once the second busiest port of illegal drugs on the eastern seaboard in the 80’s -and had ties to Pablo Escobar.

In Southport on Wednesday, more than one hundred people gathered to hear from the man who lived it all and an author who has chronicled it. Dale Varnam, Lynn Cook Betz and Robert Morton discussed Betz new book and a podcast that discussed all the events that happened in Varnamtown decades ago. Betz met Varnam after moving down to Brunswick County in 2011 and the rest was history.

“While Dale is a good storyteller, Dale jumps from thing to thing and I didn’t know the people, and I didn’t know there was so many drug smuggling operations, it was hard to keep track. But, I tried to use my thinking and do a timeline, and try to organize it as best I could,” said Betz.

Her new book “My Right Hand To Goodness: The Life and Times of Crazy Dale Varnam” and a podcast titled “Varnamtown” discusses the drug smuggling craze that took over the town in the 80s. From crime, drug smuggling and corruption, to Playboy Bunnies mowing his yard – Dale Varnam was in the center of it all.

While Varnam’s stories drew laughter from the crowd, it wasn’t all fun and games. After getting caught up in that lifestyle and spending time in prison, Dale has a different perspective now.

“What it is, is my stories and my book and everything, they’re going good. I’m helping the people with them I hope. There was an old Dale and then now there’s a new Dale, and I’m here to help people and be a blessing in life,” said Varnam.

Varnam and the panel took questions from the crowd and signed the books after. While the hour long event discussed certain topics, there is certainly more to the story.