A convicted drug trafficker on probation was sentenced on July 21 to 180 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, according to Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert James Salyards, 52, of Claremont, North Carolina, will also serve five years of supervised release after completing his prison term.
“Career criminals like Salyards are fueling addiction and ruining communities,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “By removing him from the streets, we have, as he admitted, put an end to at least 50 drugs sales every week.”
According to filed court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, Salyards was on state parole for a previous drug conviction when officers with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office stopped his vehicle on February 25, 2025. Officers observed a glass meth pipe in the front console and subsequently searched the vehicle. They found a clear plastic bag containing 111 grams of methamphetamine in the center console; an eyeglass case containing a plastic bag with 3.7 grams of methamphetamine; and another clear plastic bag with 26 grams of methamphetamine on the driver’s seat. During questioning by law enforcement officers, Salyards admitted to selling methamphetamine and stated that he made approximately 50 drug sales per week.
Due to multiple prior convictions—including possession with intent to manufacture, sell or distribute methamphetamine—Salyards was sentenced as a career criminal. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hickory Police Department for their investigation into this case. The prosecution was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina operates under the Department of Justice; it employs nearly 100 federal prosecutors and support staff across facilities in Charlotte and Asheville; covers areas including half of Great Smoky Mountains National Park as well as serving local tribal communities; advances public safety through initiatives addressing elder abuse and substance abuse; handles prosecutions for federal crimes along with civil actions brought by or against the government, all according to its official website.