NEWTON There is currently a reward being offered in Catawba County for bounty hunting gardeners who are willing to seek and destroy foul sme, Two people suffered serious injuries in a three-car crash at the intersection of Lenoir-Rhyne Blvd. And on March 13, he was charged with maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance and trafficking. The contracts appear to have been initially handled by Catawba'sutilities and engineering department and are signed by director Barry Edwards. Police: 2 charged with child's fentanyl-induced death in Catawba County On April 22, Long View police said they had two women in custody for the toddler's death. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Channel 9s Dave Faherty was the only local TV reporter there as Spencer was released from jail. Catawba County is about an hour and 15 minutes east of Asheville. Reid is scheduled to be back in court July 23. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. She said Catawba has no active contracts with Wiseman but declined to say whether the county has found any improper relationships between any officials and Wiseman. Wanda Greene's plea deal was accepted. Catawba County attorney Daniel Ray Green indicted on statutory sex offense charge. Channel 9 checked on Wednesday, and Spencer was still employed by the county. All rights reserved. A Lenoir man was found guilty on drug trafficking and firearms charges during U.S. District Court in Statesville on Thursday. CATAWBA COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - Twenty-two people are being indicted in a drug trafficking operation in Catawba County. In Catawba, EIC was tasked with design services at a county landfill, evaluations of potential projects and financial analysis of solid waste funds. Read more top trending stories onwsoctv.com: 2023 Cox Media Group. The Catawba County Sheriffs Office is asking for the publics help in finding a suspect in the armed robbery of a convenience store in Newton. It is the only other North Carolina county beyond Buncombe that the Citizen Times has found so far to have done work with EIC. A Newton man has been charged with attempted murder in connection with an attack against a fellow psychiatric patient at Catawba Valley Medica. Two of the 22 people indicted are still being sought. [Unsealed warrant details allegations against Catawba sheriff's candidate]. Tiffany Goins Curtis, 45, of Hephzibah Church Road in Crouse is charged with possession of methamphetamine. CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. Former CatawbaCounty Sheriff's Office Capt. His signature is not seen on Petra's contracts with the county. Two of the 22 people indicted are still being sought. Please subscribe to keep reading. Brandi Nichole Hardin, 34, of Stanley was indicted on two counts each of possession with intent to sell and deliver oxycodone, sell and deliver oxycodone, and maintaining a vehicle for a controlled substance. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Green was released the same dayon a $75,000 secured bond and ordered to have no contact with the juvenile. The indictment indicates that Reid obtained the GPS tracker from the Catawba County Sheriff's Office for the purpose of tracking his ex-girlfriend. Some days, William Armstrong clocks in at 8 a.m. and stays on the job until 9 p.m. Kristen Whisenant approached the podium with a poster in her hands. Detectives said Donna Spencer stole more than $100,000 from the county. Law enforcement sources said Spencer was arrested in the parking lot of the Justice Center after being served four indictments. Catawba also worked with Petra Engineering, a Huntersville-based firm that was identified by prosecutors as another previously employer of Wiseman. She was also charged with maintaining a vehicle for a controlled substance. You can cancel at any time. Constitutional carry bill aims to eliminate handgun permits, Medic: Teen dead, driver seriously injured in crash on I-485 in west Charlotte. Undercover narcotics operation leads to indictments of 21 Individuals, two from Catawba County. The individuals, with the exception of Poteat, are charged with various counts of possession with the intent to sell and deliver crack cocaine and sell and deliver crack cocaine. The individuals indicted by the grand jury are accused of attempting to distribute large quantities of crack cocaine, cocaine and methamphetamine, the release said. Police say the following people werearrested in the drug trafficking conspiracy and charged: Dominic Sharel Adams, 32 of Hickory, and Tyrell Lewis Jenkins, 33 of Hickory, are still being sought. Download the WSOCTV news app for your smartphone and get updates on this developing story as they come in. Neither immediately responded to a request for comment Friday. HICKORY, N.C. - Nearly two dozen people were indicted in a drug trafficking bust in Catawba County this week. Christopher Lewis, an attorney representing Wiseman in the countys civil suit against, did not respond to a request for comment Friday. Updated: May. He is one of six males . Constitutional carry bill aims to eliminate handgun permits, Medic: Teen dead, driver seriously injured in crash on I-485 in west Charlotte. Donna Hicks Spencer turned herself in on a Tuesday morning in Dec. 2021 to the Catawba County jail. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. A federal grand jury indictment handed up in August accused Buncombe County Manager Wanda Greene and her assistant managers Mandy Stone and Jon Creighton of taking vacations, meals, wine, game tickets and other gifts from Wiseman in exchange for contracts. The indictments were returned Monday but released Friday. Michael Welborn, 47, of Kings Mountain was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine, possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia. While three former Buncombe County managers have pleaded guilty to corruption charges, Wiseman has not been charged. 69-year-old suffers stroke in his N.C. home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. Green, who now operates a private practice in Hickory, served as a N.C. Superior Court judge for sevenmonths in 2002, according to hiswebsite. On Monday, December 6th, a Catawba County grand jury indicted Spencer on one count of embezzlement by a local or charitable officer, two counts of obtaining property by false pretenses, and one county of register of deeds failing to discharge duty. 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An incident on Jan. 14 led to charges of trafficking by possession, by sale and by delivery, maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance, and possession with intent to sell and deliver Xanax and sell and delivery of Xanax. HICKORY - A Catawba County round-up culminated Tuesday with the arrest of 19 suspects in the greater Hickory area on federal drug and gun charges. WSOC TV facebook feed(Opens a new window), 13-year-old girl killed in crash involving tractor-trailer on I-485 in west Charlotte, police say, Shanquella Robinson case needing high-level diplomatic intervention, attorney says, Man in Charlotte wins $1 million off $25 scratch-off, York County teens hospitalized after pursuit ends in crash, Super-rare Jurassic-era bug discovered during Walmart shopping trip, WSOC - TV Public File Contact / Program Director, WAXN - TV Public File Contact / Program Director. The three reportedly worked with others to distribute largeamounts of cocaine and crack cocaine. CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. - A former captain with the Catawba County Sheriff's Office is facing multiple criminal charges after being indicted following a months-long state investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Edwards said in a federal courtroom Wednesday morning that its criminal investigation into Buncombe County government continues. An engineer tied to a contracts-for-kickbacks scheme in Buncombe also did landfill and financial work in Catawba County. 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Narcotics officers received a number of tips on the Drug Tip Line at 704-736-8606 and complaints from citizens to help identify the street level dealers. 1. All rights reserved. They now await sentencing in federal court, and Creighton and Greene have since reached financial settlements with Buncombein civil suits. and Tate Blvd. He wants $25,000. A number of people were indicted under the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, but most . In the brief appearance Aug. 5, Green's attorney, Lisa A. Dubs, of Hickory, requested a continuance in the case. at approximately 10 a.m. on. You have permission to edit this article. That court case has now been moved to March. "The recordsspeak for themselves, and there isn'tanything else I can add," Bechtel said Friday. Breaking Newton- the Catawba County Register of Deeds has just been arrested for embezzlement of a public office. For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. "Some of the defendants in this investigation are validated gang members," police say. But her request to speak with relatives was denied. At one point, Reid said the womanvisited him at work and waited in an area where the narcotics tracking devises were openly kept. The indictments were returned Monday but released Friday. Twelve people, including two Catawba County residents, were indicted by a Lincoln County grand jury on drug charges in May. Clarence Riffle, 41, of Rosehill Drive in Lincolnton was charged with possession of methamphetamine. A phone number listed for himappears to be disconnected. Register of Deeds accused of embezzling more than $100,000 from Catawba County. On April 17, 2020, the SBI investigated possible criminal conduct by Spencer, who is accused of fraudulently obtaining improper compensation during her time as an elected official. Former Catawba County Sheriff's captain indicted on several charges Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Jun 2, 2022 Updated Jul 10, 2022. Law enforcement agencies conducted a six-month investigation into a drug trafficking organization after receiving multiple complaints of . Catawba County lawyer Daniel Ray Green, 64, appeared in court August 5, 2019 after being indicted on two felony and two misdemeanor charges after police say he committed a first-degree statutory sexual offense against a child in South Asheville. The judge told Reid if he is convicted of all five indictments he could face more than eight years in prison. Wine, money, county politics: What Wiseman, Creighton emails reveal. CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. Police have arrested the Catawba County Register of Deeds for embezzlement, Channel 9 learned on Tuesday. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. It also referencedtext messages from Reid to his ex's new boyfriend that detail locations of where he had been and a picture taken of his car while the couple ate at a restaurant. Catawba Co. Register of Deeds Donna Hicks Spencer is facing an embezzlement charge after a grand jury indictment per @SBI1937 The state started investigating allegations in 2020 that Spencer fraudulently obtained improper compensation during her time as an elected official @wcnc pic.twitter.com/8XLvHzNoAn. Buncombe County wants records from ex-contractor Joe Wiseman. On Monday, December 6th, a Catawba County grand jury indicted Spencer on one count of embezzlement by a local or charitable officer, two counts of obtaining property by false pretenses, and one county of register of deeds failing to discharge duty. have pleaded guilty to corruption charges, vacations, meals, wine, game tickets and other gifts, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Warrants also state Green watched pornography with the child, whowas"known to the suspect prior to the incident," according to APD spokeswoman Christina Hallingse at the time. Poteat is charged with trafficking methamphetamine, possession with the intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine and sale and deliver methamphetamine, the release said. The State Bureau of Investigation said Spencer was indicted Monday by a Catawba County grand jury on one count of embezzlement by a local or charitable officer, two counts of obtaining. Example video title will go here for this video. A 33-year-old Hickory man was sentenced to 50 years in prison for production and possession of child pornography. She's remained in her elected position since December 2004. Buncombe County wants records from ex-contractor Joe Wiseman. Despite the allegations, Reid said during his campaign that he would stay in the race,calling the accusations a political ploy. Investigators are continuing to search for missing 37-year-old Alison Thomas. Nine more suspects were arrested on state. Former Catawba County Sheriff's captain appears in court on several charges Former Catawba County Sheriff's captain appears in court on several charges. Damario Leshaun Rousseau will be tried as an adult in the shooting death of 35-year-old Shonniel Blackburn in Hickory. CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. Police have arrested the Catawba County Register of Deeds for embezzlement, Channel 9 learned on Tuesday. The federal indictments were returned by a grand jury on October 15 and 16, 2013, but remained sealed until today's arrests. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, 'On Patrol: Live' -- Brookford Police to be featured on TV show, Destroy a Bradford pear tree and get a free replacement, Two seriously injured in crash on Tate Boulevard; helicopter flies one victim to hospital, He's 24 and the new police chief in Town of Brookford; Armstrong: We have the opportunity to really change someone's life, Concerned parent brings poster of explicit quotes to school board meeting, Catawba County Hornets blank Albion 36-0 to win national championship, Newton man faces attempted murder charge in connection with attack at Catawba Valley Medical Center. She was indicted by a Catawba County grand jury on one count of embezzlement by a local or charitable officer, two counts of obtaining property by false pretenses and one count of register of deeds failing to discharge duty. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. The investigation into this case is active and ongoing. Craig Gerard Kempinski, 48, of Lincolnton was charged during three separate incidents. During the operation officers seized methamphetamine, heroin, opioids and marijuana, according to a press release from the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office. . Shes locked up in the jail under a 9900 dollar bond. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. CATAWBA COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - Twenty-two people are being indicted in a drug trafficking operation in Catawba County. The U.S. Attorneys Office declined to comment on whether Catawba or any of its officials are under investigation. According to court records, her new court date is March 21. awardedat least $2.5 million in county contracts. "This entire situation is a political attack," Reid said before the election. 11, 2018 at 9:16 AM PDT. Former Catawba County utilities director sentenced for bribery conviction Barry Edwards, 66, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison after being found guilty of accepting bribes from 2012 . Eric Theodore Flynn, 48, of Newton was charged with possession of methamphetamine. Catawba Co. Register of Deeds Donna Hicks Spencer is facing an embezzlement charge after a grand jury indictment per @SBI1937 The state started investigating allegations in 2020 that Spencer. Investigators say Spencer then turned herself in Tuesday morning to the Catawba County Detention Center. Wiseman has denied prosecutors accusations and has alleged $25,000 in damages caused by Buncombe. Prominent Catawba County lawyer Daniel Ray Green, 64, was in court in Buncombe Countythis week, but he wasn't representing a client. All rights reserved. Wine, money, county politics: What Wiseman, Creighton emails reveal. Multiple search warrants were executed in the operation, and officials seized over 2.5 pounds of crack cocaine, 8 guns and around $36,000 in cash. On Feb. 14, Kempinski was charged with trafficking by possession, by sale and by delivery, and maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance. All admit to receiving payments or gifts to which they were not legally entitled as part of the scheme. 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