News

Horse Shoe man sentenced to up to 15½ years in prison for drug trafficking

By Lightning Reports, Published: November 23, 2021

A 51-year-old Horse Shoe man was sentenced to up to 15½ years in prison after a Henderson County Superior Court jury convicted him of trafficking in opioids and methamphetamine, District Attorney R. Andrew Murray announced.

The jury convicted Mark Alan Miller on the charges on Friday after a trial lasting several days. Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Peter Knight sentenced Miller to 70-93 months for trafficking in methamphetamine to be followed by a sentence of 70-93 months for trafficking in opioids (hydrocodone pills). The total prison sentence imposed was a 140-186 months for both counts, announced

According to court records and Friday’s sentencing hearing, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office received multiple complaints that Miller was using and selling methamphetamine out of his home at at 77 Old Souther Road. Deputies made a controlled confidential informant buy of methamphetamine from Miller at the home. The sale established probable cause to apply for a warrant to search his residence. On Nov. 8, 2018, deputies executed a search warrant of Miller’s residence and seized a large cache of several different types of illicit drugs, including 59.05 grams of methamphetamine and 5.54 grams of hydrocodone. After being read a Miranda warning, Miller admitted to distributing illicit drugs from his residence to numerous buyers, the District Attorney's office said in a news release..

Assistant District Attorney Heather Brittain handled the prosecution of this case, including the defendant’s pre-trial motions, the trial and sentencing hearing.

In another felony case handled during this two-week trial calendar that concluded on Friday, Nov. 19, Robert Lee Shugart, 38, of Hendersonville was sentenced to up to 11 years four months in prison after he pleaded guilty to possession with Intent to sell and/or deliver methamphetamine and admitting to being a habitual felon.

"Because of the hard work, dedication, and steadfast commitment of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office to eradicate harmful illegal drugs off the streets of Henderson County, my office, over the past two-week trial calendar, was able to put three drug traffickers in jail for a maximum combined total of 547 months, or 45 years in prison," Murray said in a statement.