Hickory Man Sentenced To Prison For Meth Trafficking

A Hickory man will spend at least six years in prison after pleading guilty to a meth trafficking charge in Catawba County Superior Court. 45-year-old Christopher David Buchanan was sentenced to six to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking methamphetamine by possession and transportation on March 9.

The sentence was handed down by Nathaniel J. Poovey, who also ordered Buchanan to pay a mandatory $50,000 fine. The case began with a traffic stop on September 5, 2024, conducted by the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies stopped the vehicle because of an improperly attached license plate. During the stop, a K-9 alerted to the presence of drugs inside the vehicle.

A search led deputies to a bookbag in the trunk, where they discovered two bags of a white substance along with credit cards belonging to Buchanan (pictured). Investigators also found pills inside a tub in the trunk. The North Carolina State Crime Laboratory later confirmed the substances were a trafficking amount of methamphetamine.

The investigation was handled by Grayson Cameron and Dillon Ward with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Greer, with assistance from Legal Assistant Stacey London.

Story: Rob Eastwood-WHKY