ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A Buncombe County man has been sentenced to more than 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple drug charges, including trafficking fentanyl, following an Asheville Police Department investigation.

Cameron Antonio Jefferies, 39, pleaded guilty before Judge Troy Stafford to trafficking opium or heroin, possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and felony possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, according to the Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office.

Jefferies received a prison sentence of 90 to 120 months (7.5 to 10 years) and a $100,000 fine for trafficking. He was also sentenced to an additional 11 to 23 months for possession with intent to sell and another 8 to 19 months for felony possession. Both additional sentences will run consecutively, for a total active sentence of at least 9 years and 1 month and up to 13 years and 6 months.

The charges stem from a May 4, 2022, incident in which Asheville police executed a search warrant on Jefferies, his vehicle, and his residence. Jefferies was arrested away from the property. During surveillance of the home, officers observed a woman removing items from the house. She was intercepted, and police discovered $11,000 in cash and 313 grams of fentanyl.

Jefferies admitted to law enforcement that the fentanyl and cash belonged to him and confessed to routinely buying and selling large quantities of fentanyl.

“Fentanyl continues to be a devastating force in our community, fueling addiction and claiming lives,” District Attorney Todd Williams said in a statement. “This significant sentence holds Mr. Jefferies accountable for his role in distributing this dangerous drug and sends a clear message that fentanyl traffickers will face severe consequences in Buncombe County.”

 

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