Grey Alan Hester, Drug Trafficking, North Carolina 2025

Grey Alan Hester, a 50-year-old man from Candler, North Carolina, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for his role in a drug trafficking operation in the state.

According to court records, Hester trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Buncombe and Jackson Counties from 2021 to 2023. He was arrested on July 11, 2023, after attempting to use a fake identification card at Harrah’s Casino, where police seized over $11,380, fentanyl, and a loaded pistol from him.

During the arrest, police also discovered quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Hester’s backpacks, as well as a pistol with an affixed machinegun conversion kit, known as a ‘Glock Switch,’ a 30-round extended magazine loaded with 23 rounds of ammunition, digital scales, and other drug paraphernalia.

A subsequent search of Hester’s home in Buncombe County on July 14, 2023, turned up fentanyl, methamphetamine, a stolen pistol, a semi-automatic shotgun, a rifle, an AR-style 5.56 rifle (privately made firearm), and multiple rounds of ammunition.

Hester has a prior felony conviction, and he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. He pleaded guilty on June 20, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a machine gun.

U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson praised the DEA, ATF, Cherokee Indian Police Department, and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation into the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess handled the prosecution.

Hester is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that aims to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime.

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