News (2061)
Hickory Man Arrested Today on Felony Firearms Charge
Written by Ralph Mangum
25-year-old Malik Nanjeem Maynard of 17th Avenue N.E. in Hickory was arrested by Hickory Police early this morning (April 20) on one felony count of possession of a stolen firearm and misdemeanor counts of carrying a concealed gun and possession of a schedule VI controlled substance.
Maynard was taken into custody without incident at 12:15 a.m. today at a retail store on 2nd Street N.E. in Hickory. He was placed in the Catawba Co. Detention Facility under a $2,000 secured bond. A first appearance in District Court was scheduled today in Newton.
Jason Reid’s campaign has responded to widely circulated reports that broke yesterday (April 19) regarding an S.B.I. investigation into stalking allegations involving Reid. The former Catawba Co. Sheriff’s Officer is a candidate for Sheriff of Catawba County.
The response came in the form of a video posted at 10 p.m. yesterday on the Reid campaign’s Facebook page. A transcript of that video, in its entirety, is as follows:
“Desperate people do desperate things.
I learned about this just like everyone of you, from my smartphone. This is the most unbelievable abuse of power I’ve ever witnessed in my entire career.
Special agents from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation who work unsolved murders, were instructed to look into accusations made against me on misdemeanor charges eight months ago from a woman I dated.
They also woke up a Superior Court Judge at 3:45 in the morning, two hours away, so they could execute and serve a search warrant on the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office at the exact same time the very first vote in Catawba County was cast.
I never placed any type of tracking device on that woman’s vehicle.
Unfortunately, I’ve made some very powerful enemies in my career. Most recently, we arrested an elected official’s wife for trafficking opioids in our county. We also arrested a local police department’s employee for trafficking 65 pounds of marijuana in our community.
What will the skeptics say next?”
Two Arrested in Iredell County on Felony Drug & Firearms Charges
Written by Ralph Mangum
28-year-old David Christopher Karis, Jr. of Rifle Range Road in Conover and 27-year-old Kenneth Scott Welborn of Damascus Church in Wilkesboro have both been arrested by Iredell Co. Sheriff’s Officers. Karis faces charges for felony possession with intent to sell & deliver methamphetamine, felony possession of meth and possession of a schedule III controlled substance. Welborn was charged with felony possession of a stolen firearm.
Last Friday (April 13), a Deputy stopped a blue Nissan four-door car at the intersection of the Wilkesboro Highway and Bowles Farm Road. A short time later, another Deputy arrived with his K-9, Rex. The dog performed a search around the vehicle and gave a positive indication for narcotics.
A search of the vehicle was conducted. Deputies found a brown bag on the passenger side floorboard containing 16.02 grams of meth, Hydrocodone pills, Buprenorphine pills, hypodermic needles and a methamphetamine pipe. Deputies also found two handguns in the trunk. One of the firearms was listed as stolen in Pennsylvania.
Karis and Welborn were both arrested and taken to the Iredell Co. Detention Center. Karis was given a $7,500 secured bond and Welborn’s bond was set at $3500, secured. They’re both scheduled to appear in District Court on May 7.
Hickory Man Arrested In Connection To Theft Of Scooter
Written by Rob Eastwood
41-year-old Christopher Lee Walker of 19th Avenue SW in Hickory was arrested at 11 p.m. Thursday (April 19) by Hickory Police Officers. He's charged with felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
On March 6, 2018, Hickory Police responded to St. Stephens Mobile Home Park on 24th Street NE in reference to the larceny of a scooter. On Thursday, Hickory Police were notified by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol that the scooter was involved in a collision. A warrant was obtained for the driver of the scooter, Christopher Lee Walker.
Walker was arrested without incident on Fairgrove Churdch Road SE. His bond was set at $1,000 secured. He was not listed as an inmate in Catawba County as of this afternoon (April 20). A District Court appearance was scheduled today in Newton.
Heroin Possession Charge Filed Against Woman Arrested In Burke County
Written by Rob Eastwood
58-year-old Kathy Phillips Greene was arrested Thursday (April 19) by Morganton Public Safety Officers. She's charged with felony possession of heroin. Following the arrest, Greene was placed in jail in Morganton under $5,000 secured bond. A District Court date is scheduled for Monday (April 23).
19-year-old Joshua Michael Shukis was arrested Thursday (April 19) by authorities in Burke County. He was charged with felony counts of breaking and entering a place of worship, larceny after breaking and entering, and motor vehicle theft. Shukis was arrested at 9:33 a.m. Thursday and placed in jail in Morganton under $50,000 secured bond. No court date was listed.
Update: Missing Man From Morganton Found Safe, Silver Alert Canceled
Written by Rob Eastwood
The N.C. Center for Missing Persons has canceled a Silver Alert that had been issued for a missing endangered man from Burke County, 47-year-old Shawn Russ Barlow. The alert was issued early this morning (April 20) and canceled shortly before 10 a.m. today after Mr. Barlow was found, safe.
Mr. Barlow was initially reported missing at about 10:30 last night (April 19) when staffers at McAlpine Adult Care contacted the Burke Co. Sheriff’s Office. They said a resident from the adult care center had left and had not returned.
Officers with the Sheriff’s Criminal Investigation Division began to search, with assistance from the Morganton Department of Public Safety. Mr. Barlow was found sleeping on a bench outside the Food Lion store on Burkemont Avenue in Morganton.
He was taken back to the adult care center.
Hickory Woman Charged With Obtaining Controlled Substance By Fraud
Written by Rob Eastwood
20-year-old Aaliyah Danielle Cline of Heritage Farm Road in Hickory was arrested Thursday (April 19) by Catawba County Sheriff's Officers. She's charged with two felony counts of obtaining controlled substance by fraud or forgery. Cline was jailed in the Catawba County Detention Facility under $1,000 bond. A District Court appearance was scheduled today (April 20).
Identity Fraud Among Charges Filed Against Lenoir Man
Written by Rob Eastwood
50-year-old Charles Clay Sanders Jr. of Strawberry Way in Lenoir was arrested Thursday (April 19) by Caldwell County Sheriff's Officers. He's charged with felony counts of identity fraud and financial card theft. Sanders was detained in the Caldwell County Detention Center under $7,500 secured bond. A District Court date is set for next Monday (April 23).
Newton Man Sentenced To Prison Term For Break-in, Larceny
Written by Rob Eastwood
58-year-old Reginald Eric Squarles of Newton, was given an active prison sentence of five to seven years following his conviction for breaking and entering, habitual larceny and admission of habitual felon status. The Honorable Daniel A. Kuehnert, Superior Court Judge from Burke County, issued the prison term for Squarles following his guilty plea during Catawba County Superior Court on Wednesday (April 18).
Squarles’ sentence length was enhanced by his habitual felon status that came as a result of prior convictions for habitual larceny, (August 2015), breaking and entering (September 2008) and possession of cocaine (August 1994) in Catawba County. The habitual larceny charge stemmed from prior convictions for misdemeanor larceny in Catawba County on four previous occasions (December 1990, March 1991, January 2006 and January 2008).
Squarles was seen concealing goods and leaving a Conover business in October 2017. He was apprehended a short time later and found to be in possession of those items. After previously being banned from a Conover business, Squarles went into that same store in January 2018 and again was caught concealing goods and attempting to leave the property.
The cases were investigated by Landon Colley of the Conover Police Department. Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Greer handled the prosecution for the State.
More...
Connelly Springs Man Receives Prison Sentence For Break-ins In Catawba County
Written by Rob Eastwood
34-year-old Jonathan Ray Bennett of Connelly Springs, was given an active prison sentence of five to seven years following his conviction for multiple offenses and admission of habitual felon status during Catawba County Superior Court on Tuesday (April 17).
The Honorable Daniel A. Kuehnert, Superior Court Judge from Burke County, imposed the sentence for Bennett, who pleaded guilty to breaking and entering, breaking and entering a motor vehicle and obtaining property by false pretense. The defendant will serve his prison term in custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections.
Bennett’s sentence length was enhanced by prior felony convictions for larceny in Yancey County (July 2010), possession of stolen goods and obtaining property by false pretense in Mitchell County (June 2008 and September 2004).
Bennett and a co-defendant broke into a Hickory business in December 2015 and stole numerous items, particularly electronics. Video surveillance helped investigators identify Bennett as the person involved in the crime. In February 2018, Bennett was identified by a witness who saw him break into several vehicles and go through them in search of property.
That same month, officers checked on a report of a suspicious person and detained Bennett, who was found to be in possession of a checkbook that belonged to another person. Further investigation showed that he had used a check from that book to make a purchase.
The cases were investigated by officers with Hickory Police Department and Long View Police Department. Assistant District Attorneys Scott Lippert and Chad Smith handled prosecution for the State.
Suspect Arrested in Connection to February Little Market Basket Robbery in Statesville
Written by Ralph Mangum
22-year-old Quintin Latrell Abernethy of Redberry Lane in Conover has been arrested by Iredell Co. Sheriff’s Officers on a charge of felony robbery with a dangerous weapon.
His arrest comes in connection to an armed robbery at about 10:15 on the night of February 10 at the Little Market Basket convenience store located on the Taylorsville Highway in Statesville. The suspect was described as a light skinned black male carrying a long brown & black rifle.
When the suspect fled the scene, a witness gave chase and was able to describe the suspect vehicle as a dark-colored, two-door vehicle, possibly an Acura. The witness said the suspect dropped the firearm in the roadway, got into the passenger seat of the vehicle, which then sped away.
Iredell County Detectives began interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence. They recovered the firearm, which was later identified as a Red Ryder BB gun.
Detectives identified Quintin Latrell Abernethy as the suspect. Warrants for his arrest were issued on March 14. Abernethy was believed to be in the Raleigh or Hickory areas. During the course of the investigation, Detectives learned of other similar crimes that occurred in Statesville and in other counties.
Earlier today (April 19), Detectives were notified of a possible domestic dispute in the parking lot at the Iredell County Library, across from the Sheriff’s Office. As Deputies approached, they learned that the male involved in the dispute was Abernethy. They also saw the vehicle used in the robbery. The vehicle was searched and evidence was found that Investigators believe to be connected to the other robbery cases. Law enforcement in those jurisdictions have been notified.
Abernethy was arrested and taken to the Iredell Co. Sheriff’s Office where he was interviewed and processed. Bond was set at $50,000, secured. No court date is currently listed. The investigation is ongoing with more charges expected.
S.B.I. Handling Investigation into Allegations against Jason Reid
Written by Ralph Mangum
On August 3 of last year, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation received a request from Lincoln County District Attorney Mike Miller to investigate an allegation of stalking that may have occurred during the early part of 2017 in Lincolnton.
According to multiple published reports, Jason Reid, who is a candidate for Sheriff in Catawba County, is being investigated for allegedly stalking an ex-girlfriend. The woman told authorities that Reid placed a tracking device on her vehicle and sent her text messages pinpointing her exact location.
Check whky.com for updates on this story.
32-year-old Yvonne Nicole Engle of 1st Avenue NW in Hickory was arrested today (April 19) by Catawba County Sheriff's Officers. She's charged with felony possession of methamphetamine. Engle was detained in the Catawba County Detention Facility under $3,000 bond. A District Court Date is scheduled for next Monday (April 23).
