A 53-year-old Buncombe County man is heading to prison for as much as 149 months (12 years and five months) after two separate traffic stops, nearly seven months apart, turned up methamphetamine and handguns in his car. James Eugene Cole III pleaded guilty to a string of drug and firearm charges stemming from the incidents, which investigators say began with a routine search for outstanding warrants and ended with a felony-fleeing case entangled with a U.S. Marshals pursuit.
The first stop happened on June 11, 2025, when deputies pulled over the vehicle Cole was driving because of outstanding warrants, according to FOX Carolina News. A search of the vehicle turned up 47 grams of methamphetamine and a Taurus 9mm handgun, the outlet reported, citing officials.
Roughly seven months later, on Jan. 16, 2026, deputies stopped Cole again, this time for an unsafe movement violation. According to WSPA, Cole reportedly acknowledged that illegal narcotics were inside the car before deputies searched it and found 30 grams of methamphetamine along with a Taurus PT 24/7 handgun.
Guilty Plea Covers Trafficking, Possession and Fleeing Charges
Cole ultimately pleaded guilty to trafficking in methamphetamine, possession with intent to sell or deliver methamphetamine, firearm possession and felony fleeing, per WLOS. The station reported that he entered the plea Monday, Oct. 26, to charges stemming from the multiple traffic stops.
The case also connects to a separate episode in the summer: WSPA reported that Cole was wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service and was ultimately arrested on Aug. 4, 2026, following a pursuit that ended in a crash on July 28, 2026.
Sentence Totals Up to 149 Months, but Breakdown Differs Between Reports
WLOS reported that Cole received three consecutive sentences totaling a minimum of 101 months and a maximum of 149 months in North Carolina Department of Adult Correction custody. WSPA separately reported the same overall total of 101 to 149 months for Cole's combined sentences.
The two outlets diverge, however, on how that total breaks down among the individual charges. FOX Carolina reported consecutive sentences of 70 to 90 months for methamphetamine trafficking, 21 to 35 months for attempted trafficking, and 10 to 21 months for possession with intent to sell or deliver methamphetamine. WSPA, by contrast, reported the trafficking sentence as 70 to 93 months, alongside the same 21-to-35-month and 10-to-21-month figures for the other two charges.
Whichever breakdown proves accurate, the combined sentence means Cole faces as much as 149 months (12 years and five months) in state custody for the drug and firearm offenses tied to the two traffic stops.
