Newton Man Convicted In Meth Trafficking Case

A Catawba County man has received a prison sentence in a drug case. 44-year-old Colby Michael Cline of Newton, will serve six to eight years in prison following his conviction for trafficking methamphetamine during Catawba County Superior Court on Friday, September 19. The Honorable Jacqueline Grant, Superior Court Judge from Buncombe County, imposed terms of the active sentence after Cline entered the guilty plea. In addition, he was assessed a mandatory fine of $500,000.

Officers from Hickory Police Department responded to a convenience store on February 5, 2025, to address a report of an individual with an outstanding warrant. Upon arrival, they located Cline in a vehicle and made contact with him. During the encounter, Officers saw a black pouch with clear plastic bags inside that appeared to contain a crystalline substance akin to methamphetamine.

The bags were confiscated, and Cline was taken into custody. Testing by the State Crime Lab confirmed the substance to be a trafficking amount of methamphetamine. Carlos De Los Santos was the lead investigator for Hickory Police Department.

Story: Rob Eastwood-WHKY