ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) –An Asheville man was sentenced Tuesday to more than 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple fentanyl and cocaine trafficking charges stemming from two 2025 investigations in Buncombe County.
Terrence Antonio Lucas, 36, pleaded guilty in Superior Court to three counts of trafficking in opium or heroin, two counts of trafficking in cocaine and one count of misdemeanor child abuse. He appeared before Superior Court Judge Jacqueline Grant.
Authorities said the charges arose from separate investigations in May and September 2025.
On May 17, 2025, law enforcement officers seized 110 grams of fentanyl. Lucas was arrested again on Sept. 8, 2025, following an investigation by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office that resulted in the seizure of 75 grams of fentanyl and 30 grams of cocaine. Investigators said a minor was present near the narcotics during the September arrest, leading to the child abuse charge.
Grant sentenced Lucas to 90 to 120 months in prison for the May trafficking offense and imposed a $750,000 fine. He received a consecutive sentence of 70 to 93 months for the September trafficking offense and an additional $500,000 fine, for a combined minimum sentence of 13 years and four months and $1.25 million in fines.
Prosecutors said Lucas has multiple prior felony drug convictions, as well as prior convictions for felony common law robbery and misdemeanor assault on a female.
“The trafficking of controlled substances continues to pose a lethal threat to our community,” District Attorney Todd Williams said in a statement. “This sentence reflects the severity of these offenses and our commitment to ensuring public safety by holding those who violate the law accountable for their crimes.”
The cases were investigated by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office and the Asheville Police Department.