Catawba County Sheriff’s Office Announces Major Drug Bust

NEWTON, N.C. — A multi-agency investigation spanning February 2025 culminated in a significant narcotics and currency seizure on Oct. 23, resulting in the arrest of two suspects in Granite Falls, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office announced today.

The probe, led by the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division with a task force officer from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), targeted suspected drug traffickers operating in the Catawba Valley region. ATF agents and the task force executed a federal search warrant at a residence in Granite Falls. Catawba County narcotics investigators were present and arrested 40-year-old Kenneth Lee Travis for narcotics violations committed in Catawba County.

The search yielded:
– 60.6 kilograms of methamphetamine, valued at $454,500
– 12.7 kilograms of cocaine, valued at $429,100
– 1.3 kilograms of fentanyl, valued at $39,000
The total weight of narcotics seized was 74.6 kilograms, along with $377,981 in U.S. currency.

Kenneth Lee Travis , a Granite Falls resident, is charged with one count of Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine, seven counts of Trafficking in Methamphetamine, and two counts of Maintaining a Dwelling/Dwelling for the Purpose of Manufacturing, Selling or Delivering Controlled Substances. He is being held in the Catawba County Detention Facility under a $1.2 million secured bond, with a court appearance scheduled for Nov. 13, 2025, in Catawba County District Court.

Oderia Dante Glaspy, 48, of Hickory, was also arrested and charged with one count of Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine, two counts of Trafficking in Methamphetamine, and one count of Maintaining a Dwelling/Dwelling for the Purpose of Manufacturing, Selling or Delivering Controlled Substances. Glaspy is being held under a $450,000 secured bond, with a court appearance on Nov. 13.

Additional state charges and federal indictments are pending.

The investigation involved the ATF, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI), Burke County Sheriff’s Office, Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, Hickory Police Department, Maiden Police Department, Newton Police Department, and the Sheriff’s Office.