Deputy Caleb Baliles with the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office charged 65-year-old Cornelius White of Asheville with felony Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance. He was initially denied bond due to already being out on pretrial release.
On Feb. 9, 2026, Deputy Baliles initiated a vehicle stop on Sugar Hill Road after a traffic violation. White was the driver of the car and was operating the vehicle without a license or registration.
A subsequent search of the vehicle turned up a suspected amount of “crack” cocaine, drug paraphernalia and marijuana.
The Marion Police Department assisted with the incident.
