Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Ashe County, NC (WNN) - In January 2025, the Ashe County, NC Sheriff's Department began Operation Crystal Ball to address ongoing Narcotics issues in the county. Currently, forty-two individuals have been arrested in the first wave of this operation. Three more are known but remain wanted. However, this isn't the end of the case, and the sheriff's office estimates that the final number will be between 80 and 100 arrests.
While this will be one of the most significant cases in Ashe County history, Sheriff Howell had this to say: "The scale of this case was never the objective; instead, it grew as a direct result of the relentless commitment and depth of effort these teams poured into their work."
Many of the arrests made have been regarding methamphetamine sales and trafficking. However, some have charges related to Schedule II Narcotics, which suggests that other drug trafficking has been halted with this operation. In this operation, they have recovered a large amount of narcotics, weapons, and illegally made cash. The Ashe County Sheriff's Department plans on releasing the full amounts for these as the investigation continues.
The three who remain at large are: Christopher Ordon Bare, Glenna Chantel Greer, and Steven Glenn Burke. Those with information on these individuals can contact the Ashe County Sheriff's Office at (336) 846-5633 or by email at info@asheso.com.
You can read more on this and see the charges brought against each person involved in the press release from the Ashe County Sheriff's Office here.
