The McDowell County, North Carolina Sheriff’s Office has announced its largest drug bust ever. After a months-long investigation by the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, Marion Police Department, and the NC State Bureau of Investigation, they finally found the supplier. Greggory Lowery was arrested and charged with felony trafficking methamphetamine. Authorities found 111 pounds of methamphetamine in Lowery’s car and residence, along with 20 firearms. They believe Lowery to be one of the larger suppliers of methamphetamine in the country. A $2,000,000 bond has been placed over his arrest.
The Drug Bust
McDowell County Sheriff Ricky Buchanan reported that on November 11, 2024, authorities conducted surveillance on US-221 when they saw Lowery driving a gray Honda Pilot. They also noticed a Ford F-150 following closely behind him. Police pulled over the truck for a traffic violation and, at the same time, attempted to pull over Lowery. When he pulled off the side of the road, he tried to flee after setting his car on fire. He was apprehended quickly, and the fire was extinguished. Police found 110 pounds of methamphetamine in his car, and search warrants for Lowery’s home were issued. They recovered another pound of meth and 20 guns from his home.
After the search and seizure, Lowery was charged with two counts of felony trafficking methamphetamine. The F-150 driver was also connected to Lowery and identified as Timothy Beaty. Since he was following Lowery closely, police charged him with felony conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine. A $500,000 bond was placed on his arrest. Authorities reported they began investigating 36-year-old Greggory Lowery earlier in the year, and that led to a months long investigation where they identified him as a large drug distributor. The case is still ongoing, and further charges may arise.
Authorities’ Response to Seizure
According to authorities, the amount of methamphetamine recovered from Lowery’s car is street valued at $3.8 million. Sheriff Buchanan commented on the drug bust, “While we can weigh the drug amounts, while we can look and count the number of guns we seize, what we can’t do is put a number on the number of lives that have been saved by this amount of drugs – this amount of poison being taken off our streets.” He attested that people like Greggory Lowery do not value human life, or else they would not be selling poison, knowing it could kill people.
Buchanan went on to explain how the importation of drugs is truly a border issue, and he hopes that real change will be made by closing the borders soon. He said, “We’re hearing it from our drug informants, we’re hearing it from our drug suspects, that the borders are wide open, and they’re trying to get as much as they can across the border right now before they start shutting down.” While this may be true, people who sell and distribute drugs will always find a way to do so. The solution to the drug issue in the United States is much bigger than closing the borders. However, it can be acknowledged as the first step.
Final Thoughts
Marion Police Chief Allen Lawrence stated that this is by far the largest drug bust in McDowell County in his 25-year career. It has been a big week for North Carolina in the drug department, as they also recently arrested over 30 individuals in Moore County. Authorities seized approximately $600,000, smaller than McDowell County, but still, a significant number of lives have been saved by getting those drugs off the street.
In an ideal world, we would not have to worry about lives being ruined or taken due to the amount of drugs being pushed. But since we live in reality, we must continue doing all we can to end it. The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office appreciates all the tips that flow into their precinct from witnesses. They encouraged community members to continue reporting what they see so they can continue to clean the streets. Sheriff Buchanan reassured the community as well that they will continue this fight and arrest anyone who chooses to traffic illegal controlled substances.
