Suspect described as one of county’s biggest dealers
Refugio Ledezma “Kuko” Moreno
Mountain Creek – Months of investigations – followed by a traffic stop – resulted in one of Graham County’s largest methamphetamine seizures: over 900 grams of suspected liquid and solid methamphetamine, plus the arrest of what Sheriff Jerry Crisp called one of the county’s biggest drug dealers.
Agents and emergency personnel descended on a residence at 146 Rocky Top Road early Saturday morning and arrested Refugio Ledezma “Kuko” Moreno, 49, the listed owner of the property, on a variety of felony drug charges.
Moreno was booked into the Graham County Jail early Saturday morning. He was released Sunday after posting a $50,000 bond.
Moreno is charged with trafficking methamphetamine; possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver methamphetamine; and maintaining a vehicle/dwelling/place for controlled substance – all felonies.
Sheriff Crisp said law enforcement had been collecting information about Moreno for about nine months, but it was a N.C. Highway Patrol traffic stop Friday night that triggered Saturday morning’s raid.
“We finally got enough to hit his place,” Crisp said.
Late Friday, Highway Patrol officers contacted the Graham County Narcotics Division after finding suspected methamphetamine inside a car during at traffic stop.
Further investigation determined that the controlled substance came from a local suspected narcotics distributor, according to a Monday news release.
“The information from the Highway Patrol traffic stop was applied to previous recorded information from a 9-month long investigation conducted by the Graham County Narcotics Division,” the Graham County Sheriff’s Office said in the news release.
A search warrant was obtained and agents from Western North Carolina Drug Task Force responded to assist the Graham County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division and Special Response Team – including SRT Team Paramedic Billy Hyde – when the warrant was served.
Authorities seized more than 900 grams of liquid and solid methamphetamine along with various drug paraphernalia, a small-caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Derringer-type pistol, and $707 in cash.
At about $80 per gram, the street value of the methamphetamine seized Saturday morning is about $72,000 – $90,000, according to online references.
Moreno’s property is located off Rocky Top Road, a steep, dirt, private road marked with “no trespassing” signs off Lower Mountain Creek Road. Two surveillance cameras are mounted on a wooden threshold at the road’s entrance. The property is located just a few hundred yards north of Robbinsville High/Middle School.
Moreno is the listed property owner of 146 Rocky Top Road, along with a woman who was not arrested in the raid.