SALEM – A Superior Court judge Wednesday continued $5,000 cash bail for a Lynn man facing a five-year state prison sentence for distribution of cocaine.Oc Payne, 22, of 95 Woodman St., Lynn, remains free on bail after being arraigned on four counts of distribution of cocaine, subsequent offenses.As jointly recommended by the prosecutor and defense, Judge Howard J. Whitehead set the same bail as previously set in district court and continued the case to Sept. 17 for a pretrial conference.Assistant District Attorney Michael Sheehan said the charges concern a series of drug deals in Lynn.Between March 4 and June 12, Payne allegedly made four deals of cocaine with an undercover police officer involving various quantities of cocaine.He was arrested June 12 on Johnson Street after allegedly selling $100 worth of cocaine to the undercover officer, assigned to the Lynn Drug Task Force.Because Payne previously was convicted of a drug charge in 2005, he faces a more severe punishment, a minimum mandatory sentence of five years in state prison.
