Daniel Austin Rhoney, 29, of Vale, was sentenced to serve eight to 10 years in prison following his conviction for trafficking fentanyl and resisting a public officer during Catawba County Superior Court on Wednesday, September 17, 2025.
The Honorable Peter Knight, Superior Court Judge from Henderson County, imposed terms of the active sentence after Rhoney entered a guilty plea, along with a mandatory fine of $750,000.
The defendant will serve his period of incarceration in custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections.
Rhoney was the passenger in a vehicle during a traffic stop on March 25, 2025. He was not wearing a seat belt, initially gave a fake name and seemed fidgety. When the deputy tried to detain him, Rhoney pushed him aside and ran away.
When the deputy caught up to him, a scuffle ensued, and the deputy suffered multiple injuries before Rhoney was subdued.
A search of the vehicle led to seizure of a bag that had multiple baggies of illegal substances inside it. The defendant told investigators the bag belonged to him. The State Crime Lab confirmed the substances to be a trafficking amount of fentanyl.
The female driver of the vehicle and a co-defendant has charges still pending. She is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Ryan Hamby and Samuel Helms handled the investigation for the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant District Attorney Taylor Rockett prosecuted the matter for the State with aid from Legal Assistant Britnee Ulsamer.