Jordan Ashlee Abernathy was sentenced to an active prison term of six to eight years after he was found guilty as charged on all drug offenses by a jury to conclude a two-day trial in Catawba County Superior Court on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.
The Honorable Peter Knight, Superior Court Judge from Henderson County, imposed terms of the active sentence for Abernathy along with a mandatory fine of $500,000.
Abernathy, 47, of Conover, will serve his period of incarceration in custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections after he was found guilty of trafficking fentanyl by possession and transportation, possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The jury deliberated for about an hour before returning its verdict Wednesday afternoon.
Abernathy was the passenger in a vehicle during a traffic stop on February 27, 2023. A K-9 unit alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle, and a pencil box was located between the seat and door on the side where Abernathy was sitting.
The box contained various drug items, including syringes, Narcan, digital scales and multiple bags of drugs, including pills, rock-like substances and powder. When tested by the State Crime Lab, it was determined the defendant had a trafficking amount of fentanyl.
Brittany Weaver and Alec Blackwood handled the investigation for the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant District Attorney Melanie Earles prosecuted the matter for the State with aid from Legal Assistant Jordan Arney.