ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A Buncombe County man has been sentenced to at least six years in prison after pleading guilty to drug charges, District Attorney Todd Williams announced Tuesday.
Erron Thomas Wolicki, 43, pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking opium or heroin in Buncombe County Superior Court. Judge Bill Stetzer sentenced Wolicki to a mandatory minimum of 70 months and a maximum of 93 months in state prison. He was also fined $500,000.
The charges stem from a March 7 incident in Asheville, when officers with the Asheville Police Department were conducting surveillance and observed what they believed was a drug transaction. A vehicle involved in the activity was stopped, and Wolicki, a passenger, told officers he had swallowed drugs, according to prosecutors.
He was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment, where authorities recovered 21 grams of fentanyl, the district attorney’s office said.
“The Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office remains committed to prosecuting those who endanger our community by trafficking dangerous opioids like fentanyl,” Williams said in a statement. “This conviction sends a clear message that we will hold individuals accountable for their actions and work with our law enforcement partners to combat the opioid crisis.”