MEDIA RELEASE

Contact:  Angie Grube

Public Information Director

               agrube@ncsbi.gov

July 8, 2020

Former Buncombe County Chief Deputy Arrested

Raleigh, NC – On Wednesday, July 8, 2020, Don Eberhardt, former Chief Deputy of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, was arrested after an investigation by special agents with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation’s (SBI) Special Investigations Unit.  On April 21, 2020, the SBI was requested by the Buncombe County District Attorney to conduct an investigation into an alleged theft of a firearm from Carolina Guns and Gear that happened on April 9, 2020.  On Monday, July 6, 2020, a Buncombe County grand jury returned a true bill of indictment on the following charges:

1 ct. of felonious larceny

1 ct. of felonious possession of stolen goods

On Wednesday, July 8, 2020, Don Eberhardt, 50, turned himself in at the Buncombe County Detention Center just before 8 a.m.  After going before a magistrate, he was issued a written promise to appear.

The Buncombe County District Attorney has referred the prosecution of this case to the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys.  No additional information is available at this time.