JACKSON COUNTY, N.C. (WSPA) – A woman was sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison for drug trafficking in North Carolina.

According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Ashley Kay Heatherly, 35, of Sylva, was sentenced to 57 months in prison and five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Heatherly was arrested on July 2, 2020, for trafficking methamphetamine and possession of a controlled substance on jail premises after a suspicious vehicle call at Catamount Travel Center in Cullowhee, the sheriff’s office said.

During the investigation, deputies found evidence of meth being used. After she was taken to the Jackson County Detention Center, deputies found more meth in her possession.

On Feb. 16, 2021, the U.S. District Court of the Western District of NC, Asheville Division, issued a federal warrant. Heatherly was arrested on March 1, 2021.

She pleaded guilty on Dec. 23, 2021, and remained in federal custody until this month’s sentencing.