Submitted by Office of District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch
43rd Prosecutorial District
District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch announced the successful prosecution of a Swain County man on drug trafficking charges on Monday, July 14, 2025.
A Haywood County Superior Court jury late Friday found Clinton Leslie Ensley, 45, guilty of:
- One count trafficking in opium, opiate, opioid or heroin by transporting 28 grams or more of fentanyl.
- One count trafficking in opium, opiate, opioid or heroin by possessing 28 grams or more of fentanyl.
- One count conspiracy to commit trafficking by transporting 28 grams or more of fentanyl opium, opiate, opioid or heroin.
- One count of conspiracy to commit trafficking by possessing 28 grams or more of fentanyl.
- One count of trafficking in methamphetamine by transporting 28 grams or more but less than 200 grams.
- One count of trafficking in methamphetamine by possessing 28 grams or more but less than 200 grams.
Clinton Leslie Ensley
Superior Court Judge Gary Gavenus sentenced Ensley to a minimum active prison sentence of 49 years. He also imposed state-mandated fines totaling $2.1 million.
Haywood County Sheriff’s Office narcotics detectives arrested Ensley on April 5, 2024, along Old Asheville Highway in Canton.
The detectives had been surveilling a truck stop near the Buncombe County line.
They observed a vehicle with a fictitious plate entering the truck stop, followed by an SUV. Ensley got out of the SUV and into the first vehicle, then drove it across the county line into Haywood.
Detective Joshua Watts pulled over the vehicle. He and fellow officers discovered 146 grams of methamphetamine and 170 grams of fentanyl, a large amount of cash and drug paraphernalia.
Later, detectives went to the SUV at the truck stop and found about 3 pounds of methamphetamine and cash. These additional drugs were critical to establishing Ensley’s participation in drug trafficking, because the methamphetamine and fentanyl were found on a passenger, not on Ensley, at the Haywood County motor vehicle stop.
The passenger, Christopher Jason Woodard, 47, also of Bryson City, pleaded guilty Oct. 22, 2024, to trafficking opium or heroin. He is currently serving 70-93 months in state prison.
Detective Watts served as the primary case agent, with assistance from Sgt. Jordan Reagan; Sgt. William Brigham; Detective Craig Campbell; Deputy Hayden Green and Detective Alexander Ledin.
Assistant district attorneys Jeff Jones and Chris Smith prosecuted the case.
