Michael Lindsey Jones, 39, Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking in North Carolina

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – In a major blow to the methamphetamine trade in Western North Carolina, Michael Lindsey Jones, 39, of Hendersonville, N.C., has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in trafficking significant quantities of the deadly drug.

According to court records, Jones conspired with Zachery Micah Rice, who was previously sentenced to more than 28 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine, to distribute methamphetamine in Buncombe, Henderson, and Transylvania Counties from 2021 to 2023.

During the investigation, law enforcement used a confidential informant to purchase pound quantities of methamphetamine from Rice that Jones coordinated. Court records show that Jones arranged the drug deals, set the meeting times and locations with the confidential informant, and handled the drug-for-cash exchanges.

From February to April 2023, Jones was responsible for distributing nearly 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine, a quantity that could have supplied hundreds of users and sparked untold suffering and addiction.

Jones pleaded guilty on December 30, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and numerous other law enforcement agencies for their tireless efforts in investigating and prosecuting the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville handled the prosecution, which is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

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