A Hendersonville man will spend about 11 years in federal prison, and his girlfriend nearly four, after investigators say the pair ran fentanyl and methamphetamine sales across Henderson and Buncombe counties, with drugs at one point found hidden inside two magnetic boxes tucked into the engine compartment of his car. Jason Mills, 47, and Stephanie Hope Lindsey, 40, of East Flat Rock, were sentenced on drug trafficking charges tied to transactions carried out between January and February 2024.
According to WLOS, Mills pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, while Lindsey pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl. Court documents and testimony show law enforcement investigated Mills for supplying fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout Henderson and Buncombe counties, with the two conducting multiple transactions with a person cooperating with law enforcement. Lindsey drove Mills to drug-sale meetups and carried out sales he coordinated, while Mills also handled some deals on his own.
What Investigators Found in Asheville
When federal and local law enforcement searched Mills's vehicle in Asheville on February 12, 2024, they recovered two magnetic boxes concealed inside the engine compartment holding 69 multi-colored methamphetamine pills, along with baggies containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to the Department of Justice. A search of Mills's Asheville residence the same day turned up 86.38 grams of fentanyl, 87 grams of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and $2,000 in cash.
U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced the sentences: Mills received 135 months, or about 11 years, followed by five years of supervised release. Lindsey received 46 months, or nearly four years, followed by three years of supervised release. Mills's case carries an additional wrinkle — he was already on federal probation for a prior federal cocaine trafficking conviction in Florida when he reoffended, meaning his roughly 10-year federal sentence will not even begin until his probation revocation sentence expires, according to the DOJ.
Part of a Broader Federal Crackdown
The prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations. The initiative was established by a DOJ memorandum in February 2025 to coordinate Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods resources. The case involved fentanyl and methamphetamine, including pills and baggies found in Mills's car and fentanyl and methamphetamine found in his home.
The Mills and Lindsey case is not an isolated one for federal prosecutors in the region. Hoodline reported another Buncombe County case in which 24-year-old Sadiq Devoe Jones received a 135-month sentence for leading a fentanyl and methamphetamine ring while on federal supervised release, also prosecuted under Operation Take Back America. A separate Catawba County meth-trafficking case involved a state prison sentence, while Mills's case was prosecuted federally.
An Overdose Crisis Straining Local Resources
The federal enforcement push comes as North Carolina continues to grapple with a deadly overdose crisis. The crisis also affects communities in Buncombe County.
Buncombe County has been allocated more than $30 million from national opioid litigation settlements running from 2022 through 2039, with county leaders budgeting $3.21 million in fiscal year 2026 for core services. Opioid-settlement funds also support local recovery efforts, even as federal prosecutors pursue lengthy prison terms for the traffickers supplying the drugs fueling the crisis.
