Candler Man Sentenced After Guilty Plea to Selling Fentanyl

Buncombe County -- February 20, 2024: Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams announced in a press release the

sentencing of a  Candler man after pleading guilty to trafficking in opium/fentanyl and trafficking in methamphetamine.

Corey Tre Ballew, 31, was sentenced to 7 1/2 - 10  years in prison, along with a $1000,000 fine. 

According to the release, the case involved two incidents. The first occurred on December 8, 2022, at the 1100 block on Brevard Road when North Carolina Special Agents were conducting surveillance and witnessed hand to hand sale of narcotics, conducted a search of Ballew and found over 15 grams of fentanyl and over 35 grams of methamphetamine on him and inside his vehicle.

The second incident occurred on March 11, 2023, during a traffic enforcement on US-19 officers observed a dark-colored sedan traveling an estimated 63 m.p.h. in a 40 m.p.h. zone. Ballew fled on foot after stopping the vehicle, later surrendering to law enforcemtnt.