WILMINGTON — A Carolina Beach man has been sentenced to a minimum of 70 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine. Stuart Walling, 47, will serve at maximum 93 months in prison.
A defendant working with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office tipped off law enforcement to Walling’s activities.
“In March of 2018, a cooperating defendant working on behalf of the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office informed narcotics detectives that Walling was bringing large quantities of methamphetamine from Columbia, South Carolina to Wilmington to sell. On March 9, 2018, detectives tracked his trip to South Carolina and then stopped him around 4:30 a.m. in the intersection of Shipyard Boulevard and Carolina Beach Road in Wilmington. At that point, they found him to be in possession of 56.82 grams of methamphetamine and
a clear plastic bag of marijuana,” according to a press release from District Attorney Ben David.
Walling pled guilty on Friday to the trafficking charges.
“Methamphetamine is one of the most addictive and dangerous drugs out there,” Assistant Attorney Brad Matthews said. “It has caused great harm in rural areas throughout our state, and it is of the utmost importance that the proliferation of this drug does not infiltrate our community. The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office should be commended for their work in preventing this large amount of narcotics from being distributed in New Hanover County.”
