Â鶹´«Ã½

James Drew Ballard, 40, pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking fentanyl. Ballard entered the plea during Catawba County Superior Court on Monday, District Attorney Scott Reilly’s Office said in a news release.

Superior Court Judge Karen Eady-Williams sentenced Ballard to six to eight years in prison, the district attorney’s office said.

Ballard’s conviction stems from two separate arrests. The offenses, both investigated by the Hickory Police Department, occurred Nov. 21, 2023, and Sept. 12, 2024, the district attorney’s office said.

On Nov. 21, 2023, Hickory police officers approached a vehicle located in a church parking lot. Ballard and a female were occupants of the vehicle, the district attorney’s office said.

As officers approached, Ballard exited the vehicle and tried to block their view into the vehicle. Ballard attempted to flee when the officers tried to detain him. A search of the vehicle revealed a zipper pouch that contained multiple baggies of illegal substances, along with a cell phone that had messages related to drug transactions, the district attorney’s office said.

On Sept. 12, 2024, Ballard’s vehicle was stopped for an expired registration. A police K-9 detected drugs in the vehicle. Officers searched the vehicle. A search of Ballard led to the location of drugs in his pants. Multiple bags of narcotics were found inside the vehicle, the district attorney’s office said.

Ballard is required to pay two mandatory fines totaling $550,000, the district attorney’s office said.

Robert McKee and Justin Rogers handled the cases for the Hickory Police Department. Assistant District Attorney Jessica Phillips prosecuted the matters for the State with aid from Legal Assistant Dea Crowe.