Asheville Man, 46, Gets 10 Years for Heroin Trafficking, Stolen Gun

Heath Thomas C. Rice, 46, of Asheville pleaded guilty to heroin trafficking and two gun charges and was sentenced Monday to between seven and a half and 10 years in state prison, with a $750,000 fine, the Buncombe County District Attorney's Office announced March 30.

The plea covered five counts: trafficking in opium or heroin (a Class F felony), possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a firearm by a felon, felony breaking and entering and misdemeanor larceny, all stemming from a 2025 investigation. Rice was ordered to serve 90 to 120 months in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.

The stolen firearm charge reflects the pairing that Buncombe County prosecutors have confronted repeatedly: opioid supply moving alongside illegal guns. Three other defendants convicted in the same period show how consistently that combination appears. Russell Toothman of Buncombe County pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to traffic opium or heroin, methamphetamine trafficking and felon-in-possession charges, drawing 7.5 to 10 years and a $100,000 fine after the Buncombe County Sheriff's Department Illegal Gun Reduction and Narcotics Taskforce recovered four grams of fentanyl and a Smith & Wesson 9mm during a 2024 vehicle stop and later found 110 grams of fentanyl and 28 grams of methamphetamine at a linked residence. In May 2025, Alcohol Law Enforcement agents observed a drug deal in a Tunnel Road parking lot in Asheville, then seized 15 grams of fentanyl, 29 grams of methamphetamine and $370 from the involved vehicle; the driver, Brandon Keith Morris, pleaded guilty to trafficking. Ramond Doquis Lester, stopped by Asheville Police on Aug. 5, 2025 while wanted on federal probation violations, was sentenced to 86 to 117 months as a habitual felon after pleading guilty to heroin trafficking and illegal firearm possession. Commenting on the Lester sentencing, Buncombe County DA Todd Williams stated: "The combination of illegal firearms and lethal doses of fentanyl poses a severe threat to our community. This sentence reflects our commitment to holding repeat offenders accountable and removing dangerous drugs and weapons from our streets."

Prison sentences address the supply side; they do not reach everyone using drugs in Buncombe County, which still carries some of the worst opioid-overdose indicators in North Carolina. Naloxone, syringe exchange and peer support are available free and confidentially through the Buncombe County DHHS Harm Reduction Clinic at 40 Coxe Avenue in downtown Asheville, weekdays noon to 4 p.m. Sunrise Community Wellness operates an Overdose Prevention Program with DHHS; call 828-920-8261. The Western North Carolina AIDS Project provides overdose reversal kits and care navigation at 828-252-7489, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Holler Harm Reduction delivers supplies directly: call or text 828-290-9066.

To report suspected drug trafficking or illegal firearms in Buncombe County, contact the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office at 828-255-5555 or submit a tip through the department's online tip form.