On Feb. 9, Russell Toothman of Buncombe County pleaded guilty to narcotics trafficking and firearm charges.
He was sentenced to a minimum of 7.5 and a maximum of 10 years in prison, along with a $100,000 fine. The charges included conspiracy to traffic opium or heroin, trafficking methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Agents of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department Illegal Gun Reduction and Narcotics Taskforce began investigating Toothman in 2024 following a tip. On May 15 of that year, law enforcement stopped a vehicle in which Toothman was a passenger and recovered four grams of fentanyl and a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun…