ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — On Aug. 11, 2026, members of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team seized 25.9 grams of fentanyl, 48.6 grams of cocaine, 51.9 grams of methamphetamine, five handguns and $3,272 in a Rock Haven Motel drug bust.
The BCSO SRT had obtained a search warrant for the property, located at 1464 Smokey Park Highway, after an investigation into a drug trafficking organization conducted by the Asheville Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives Asheville and the BCSO Illegal Gun Reduction and Narcotics Task Force.
Following the search, in addition to the confiscated contraband, two people were arrested on drug trafficking-related charges.
Ernest Derronte Mitchell, 40, was charged with trafficking in fentanyl by possession level II, trafficking in methamphetamine by possession level I, trafficking in cocaine by possession level I, possession of firearm by felon, possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver: fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Mitchell was booked into the Buncombe County Detention Facility, where his total bond sits at $20,000.
Brittany Rochelle May was charged with conspiracy to traffick fentanyl level II and maintaining a dwelling.
BCSO expressed their gratitude to their partner organizations for assisting with the investigation.
“We are grateful to the members of ATF as well as the Asheville Police Department for partnering with I.G.R.A.N.T. during this investigation that facilitated the development of a strong criminal case,” said BCSO District 2 Captain Chris Stockton. “We appreciate the members of the B.C.S.O Animal Crimes Unit as well as the Special Response Team, who worked with I.G.R.A.N.T. to reach a safe execution of the search warrant. We sincerely hope that these efforts have served to make those within this community safer.”