ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Brandon Lloyd Cox, 44, was sentenced to 58 to 62 months in the custody of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction for trafficking in opium or heroin. The sentence was enhanced by Cox’s habitual felon legal status.

Under North Carolina law, a habitual felon is “any individual who has been convicted of or pled guilty to three prior non-overlapping felony offenses in any state or federal court is subject to enhanced sentencing upon conviction of a fourth felony.”

Cox was previously convicted on several other drug-related felonies.

Cox was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Alan Thornburg. The charges stemmed from an Asheville Police Department investigation into a stolen electronic bicycle. Cox was discovered by officers on a bike matching the description of the stolen property and fled on foot, leading to a brief pursuit before his capture.

A search of Cox’s person and backpack revealed 11 grams of suspected fentanyl, a Schedule II drug under the North Carolina Controlled Substances Act.