Asheville man sentenced to prison for tracking methamphetamine, DA says

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — A 45-year-old man from Asheville will spend between five to seven years in prison after he was found guilty of drug trafficking.

An online release from the Buncombe County District Attorney's Office says Joshua Ryan Reece, 45, of Asheville, pleaded guilty on April 10, 2024 to two felony counts of trafficking in methamphetamine.

TWO ARRESTED AFTER DEPUTIES NOTICE BAG OF FENTANYL 'IN PLAIN VIEW' DURING TRAFFIC STOP

As a result, visiting Mecklenburg County Judge Karen Eady-Williams sentenced Reece to serve an active term of 70-93 months in the custody of the Division of Adult Corrections and pay a $50,000 fine.

The DA's release says that on Jan. 18, 2023, deputies with the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office stopped Reece for driving without a license.

ASHEVILLE MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO TRAFFICKING COCAINE, SENTENCED TO PRISON

Law enforcement discovered methamphetamine "both in plain view in the center console and inside a brown paper bag that fell from the driver’s side of the vehicle as Reece exited his vehicle."

Authorities recovered a total of 141 grams of methamphetamine during the arrest.