Buncombe County -- September 9, 2026: A Woodfin man has been sentenced to state prison for attempted fentanyl trafficking, a case the Buncombe County District Attorney’s office is highlighting as part of its ongoing efforts to aggressively prosecute serious drug crimes in the Asheville area.
Anastacio Robert Molina, 49, of Woodfin, pleaded guilty to attempted trafficking in fentanyl and was sentenced to a term of up to eight years in a North Carolina correctional institution. The sentencing took place on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in Buncombe County Superior Court.
The Buncombe County District Attorney’s office, led by DA Todd Williams, has publicly framed Molina’s sentencing as a significant win, reinforcing its commitment to a "hard-line" approach against drug trafficking. This outcome sends a clear message to individuals involved in the distribution of lethal substances in Western North Carolina.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid estimated to be 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, continues to drive overdose deaths in the region. Law enforcement and prosecutorial officials in the Asheville area have consistently emphasized the extreme danger posed by even small quantities of the drug and its devastating impact on community safety and public health.
This sentence aligns with a pattern of stiff penalties for fentanyl crimes in Buncombe County. Recent cases have seen defendants receive multi-year prison sentences and substantial fines for trafficking fentanyl and other hard drugs, demonstrating the consistent prosecutorial priority placed on these offenses. The DA's office continues to emphasize that traffickers in the Asheville area will face significant incarceration consequences.