BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — An Asheville man was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to multiple felony charges, including drug trafficking and gun charges from a 2025 investigation, the Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office said on Monday, March 30.
Heath Thomas C. Rice, 46, was sentenced to a minimum of 90 months and a maximum of 120 months, or 7 and a half years to 10 years, in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, the DA’s office said in a press release. Rice was also ordered to pay a $750,000 fine.
The DA’s office said Rice 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
- Misdemeanor larceny
The charges come after the Asheville Police Department arrested Rice on Rector Street in April 2025 following complaints of illegal drug activity, the DA’s office said. The investigation led to the seizure of more than 50 grams of fentanyl and multiple guns, two of which were reported stolen…