ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A Barnardsville man has been sentenced to 10 to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking opium and heroin, armed robbery and being a habitual felon in connection with a 2025 pharmacy robbery in Weaverville.
John Wesley Burleson, 37, was sentenced Friday, June 5, 2026, in Buncombe County Superior Court by Superior Court Judge Jacqueline Grant. Prosecutors said the sentence reflects his designation as a habitual felon under North Carolina law, which enhances penalties for defendants with at least three prior felony convictions.
According to prosecutors, Burleson’s record includes convictions for burglary, forgery and uttering forged instruments, and possession of counterfeit instruments.
The latest case stems from a Feb. 26, 2025, robbery at a CVS pharmacy on Monticello Road in Weaverville. Officers with the Weaverville Police Department responded at about 5:48 p.m. to a report of an armed robbery. Investigators said Burleson entered the pharmacy, displayed a 6-inch hunting knife and demanded narcotics, telling employees they had 60 seconds to comply. No injuries were reported.
Officials said witnesses and evidence led investigators to identify Burleson as the suspect, and drugs were later recovered during the investigation.
“This office takes violent, recidivist crime very seriously,” District Attorney Todd Williams said. He credited investigators and prosecutors for building a case that resulted in a substantial sentence.
Under the N.C. Victims’ Rights Act, victims were notified of the outcome and approved the resolution of the case, prosecutors said.