Asheville -- March 30, 2026: An Asheville man, Heath Thomas C. Rice, 46, pleaded guilty to the following charges:
Trafficking in Opium or Heroin (Class F)
Possession of a Stolen Firearm
Possession of a Firearm by a Felon
Felony Breaking and Entering
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Misdemeanor Larceny
$750,00 Fine
Buncombe County Superior Court before the Honorable Judge Alan Thornburg. Rice was sentenced to a mandatory minimum of 90 months and a maximum of 120 months in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.
The charges stem from a 2025 investigation following the arrest of Rice.
The sentencing resolves several case files dating back to 2022, including the drug trafficking charges that carried the mandatory minimum prison term