News

Investigation leads to drug seizure and arrests

Illegal drugs, cash and guns seized during drug trafficking arrests.

By Lightning reports, Published: November 10, 2023

A 10-month investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies led to the recent drug trafficking arrests of several people and the seizure of $1.6 million in illegal drugs, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.

Three suspects in the case were being held in Henderson County’s jail Friday, each under bonds of more than $2 million. Two other suspects were being held Friday in Buncombe County’s jail under bonds of $100,000 and $200,000.
Detectives began Operation Drip Pressure 10 months ago into the possible sale and delivery of illegal controlled substances by a suspect identified as Zachery Micah Rice, according the news release.
Officers arrested Rice, whose age and address was not included in the press release, on Nov. 7 at about 8:30 p.m. when detectives with the Henderson County Drug Task Force and members of the Henderson County Special Weapons and Tactics Team attempted to stop a vehicle being operated by Rice. A short pursuit ensued around the area of Bob’s Creek Rd and U.S. Highway 25 South before the vehicle eventually stopped, according to the press release.
After the vehicle stopped, Rice and two occupants of the vehicle, who were identified as 28-year-old Darion Laquinton Davis, of Asheville, and 23-year-old Mahogany Shanice Altman, of Atlanta, were taken into custody with Rice, according to a news release.
Detectives with the Asheville Police Department and Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office executed three separate search warrants at homes in Buncombe County after the vehicle stop. Those locations included: 275 Deaverview Rd Apt 18 in Asheville, 88 Sky Exchange Drive Unit 202 in Asheville and 128 Briar Glenn Drive Apt 303 in Arden.
As a result of the search warrants, investigators also took suspects identified Charmaine Vapreece Fair and Gerome Parham into custody. No ages or addresses were given for Fair and Parham.
The search warrants and vehicle stop also led to the seizure of several illegal controlled substances with an estimated street value of approximately $1,634,100.00, according to the press release.
Items seized after the vehicle stop and the execution of the search warrants include: approximately 28 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately four pounds of fentanyl, approximately four pounds of marijuana, approximately 11 grams of crack cocaine, 24 dosage units of ecstasy, 72 dosage units of oxycodone, one dosage unit of Xanax, $62,977 in cash, six firearms including one fully automatic Glock pistol and a bulletproof vest.
Rice, Davis and Altman were taken into custody in Henderson County and each charged with trafficking in methamphetamine by possession level three, trafficking in methamphetamine by transport level three, maintaining a vehicle for the purpose of selling and delivering a controlled substance and possession of a weapon of mass destruction.
Rice and Davis were being held Friday at the Henderson County Detention Center each under a $2,500,000 bond. Altman was being held Friday at the jail under a $2,030,000 secured bond.
Fair and Parham were being held Friday in the Buncombe County Detention Facility.
Fair was being held under a $100,000 secured bond on a charge of trafficking in opium/heroin by possession level three. Parham was being held under a $200,000 secured bond on charges of trafficking in opium/heroin by possession level three, three counts of possession with intent to sell and deliver schedule II controlled substance, possession with intent to sell and deliver schedule I controlled substance and possession with intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine.
Henderson County’s Drug Task Force received assistance in the investigation from the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, the Asheville Police Department, the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office, the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Search warrants were executed in Henderson County and Buncombe County, according to the press release from the sheriff’s department.
Detectives are continuing their investigation and more arrests are possible, according to the press release.