ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Three people have been sentenced in connection with a February 2025 break-in at the Buncombe County Schools Family Resource Center in Candler and thefts from school buses at Enka High School.
Brian N. Walta, 32, received a 17-to-30-month prison sentence, while his brother, Joshua F. Walta, 29, was sentenced to 18 to 31 months. Both will serve their prison terms before being released to supervised probation.
Marshall A. Pye was sentenced to 16 to 29 months in prison for his role in the incidents, which also included post-release supervision violations in Buncombe County and Alabama.
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office investigated the cases, arresting the Walta brothers, with Pye later apprehended by U.S. Marshals. The stolen property, which included brand-name winter jackets intended for donation after Tropical Storm Helene, had an estimated retail value of about $49,000. Most of the items were recovered by BCSO.
District Attorney Todd Williams said in a statement, “When individuals exploit a crisis through theft and fraud and compromise a vital public resource like our school system, this office will act. We will seek accountability — likely prison terms — from anyone who seeks to profit from the hardship and trauma created by a natural disaster like Hurricane Helene.”
The charges against the Walta brothers included felony breaking and entering, felony larceny, conspiracy to commit felony larceny, possession of a firearm by a felon and breaking and entering of a motor vehicle. Pye was charged with felony larceny and conspiracy to commit felony larceny.