Operation Summer Heat arrests 14 on drug charges
Published 11:33 pm Monday, August 7, 2017
SALISBURY — The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office released the names Monday evening of people arrested in its Operation Summer Heat sweep. The suspects face charges ranging from misdemeanors to serious felonies such as trafficking of opium and heroin and possession of firearm by felon.
Since mid-May, 14 people have been arrested, and the Sheriff’s Office is looking for seven more suspects.
Those arrested to date are as follows:
• Aaron Lee Brown, 28, of Brown Road, China Grove, was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Brown was arrested June 27 and placed under $1,500 secured bond. The date of his offense was Dec. 29.
• Vanessa Marie Clemons, 30, of Second Street, was arrested July 31 and charged with selling or delivering a counterfeit controlled substance. She was placed under $1,000 bond. The date of her offense was April 11.
• Lee Thomas Ellis, 66, of East Franklin Street, was arrested June 20 and charged with two offenses from May 25 — trafficking opium by possession and felony maintaining a dwelling for controlled substances — and two charges from June 19 — possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and felony maintaining a dwelling for controlled substances. His bond was set at $10.000
Ellis was out on bond when authorities arrested him again Aug. 2 and charged him with five more crimes — trafficking in opium by sale, by transportation and by possession; felony maintaining a vehicle for controlled substance; and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
• James Lee Hall, 42, of Madison Drive, China Grove, was arrested July 6 and again later. Charges against him stem from incidents over several months and include three counts of possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, felony maintaining a vehicle for controlled substances and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond was set at $12,000.
• Brittney Nicole Hulon, 30, of Paul Road, Rockwell, was arrested Thursday on eight charges stemming from May incidents — two each of sales or delivery of methamphetamine, possession with intent to sell or deliver methamphetamine, felony possession of methamphetamine and felony maintaining a dwelling for controlled substances. Her bond was set at $10,000.
• Melanie Dawn Johnson, 36, of Carolina Avenue, was arrested Wednesday on four meth-related charges stemming from May incidents: sale or delivery of methamphetamine, possession with intent to sell or deliver methamphetamine, felony possession of methamphetamine, and felony maintaining a vehicle for controlled substances. Her bond was set at $25,000.
• Devin Allen Kelly, 24, of Circle Drive was arrested June 30 and faces more than a dozen charges related to heroin, opium and meth, and his bond was set at $120,000. The charges go back to May and include two counts of possession with intent to sell or deliver heroin; felony maintaining a vehicle for controlled substances; two counts each of trafficking in opium by transportation, possession and selling; two counts of possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance; felony cocaine possession; felony methamphetamine possession; and more.
• Tevin Marcell Moore, 24, of Red Maple Drive, Kannapolis, was arrested Wednesday and placed under $100,000 bond for trafficking heroin by possession and by transport and felony maintaining a vehicle for controlled substances.
At the time of this arrest, Moore was out on bond from a May arrest for possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine, felony possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia. A probation search was conducted of Moore’s residence and a search warrant executed for a vehicle under Moore’s control. Investigators seized around 19 grams of cocaine, cutting agents used for heroin and cocaine, and $27,480 in cash.
• Michael Earl Perry, 51, of Baptist Church Road, Gold Hill, was arrested and placed under $10,000 bond for possession with intent to sell or deliver methamphetamine, felony maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Terry Brian Parham, 46, of Hickory Street, Landis, was arrested and placed under $5,000 bond for two misdemeanor charges — possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Bobby Lee Russell, 48, of Miller Road, China Grove, was arrested in June and placed under $1,000 bond in connection with offenses that occurred last September: possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana, felony maintaining a dwelling, misdemeanor possession of marijuana and felony manufacturing marijuana.
• Patrick Sinclair Sherrill, 35, of California Drive, Mount Ulla, was arrest May 19 and placed under $150,000 bond for offenses going back to March. They include trafficking heroin by possession, possession to sell or deliver heroin, two counts of felony maintaining a dwelling for controlled substances, and misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia, marijuana and a Schedule III controlled substance.
• Lisa Sabbath Tucci-Caselli, 54, of Imperial Drive, Franklin, was arrested Saturday in Transylvania County on opium charges from a July incident — trafficking by sale, by possession and by transportation.
• David Michael Yarboro, 44, of Mooreville Road, was arrested May 30 and placed under $10,000 bond on two charges of possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance from incidents in September and June.
The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office is seeking these individuals for outstanding warrants related to drug offenses:
• Mark Anthony Belik, 32 of Leonard Road, for marijuana-related charges stemming from a March offense.
• Cory Marques Cruse, 46, of Fort Worth Avenue, Kannapolis, for one charge of selling/delivering a controlled substance, from an incident in April.
• Thomas Nathaniel Kinney, 28, of Mitchell Street, East Spencer, on three opium-related charges from October — trafficking by sale, by possession and by delivery.
• Devin Allen Lyman, 22, of N.C. 152 East, Rockwell, on a charge of obtaining property by false pretense, going back to January.
• Traci Pauline Smith, 44, of Cedar Drive, for possession with intent to sell of deliver Fentanyl and felony maintaining a dwelling for controlled substances.
• Carla Ingram Swinson, 56, of Misty Lane, Rockwell, for selling or delivering of a Schedule II controlled substance and possession with intent to sell of deliver a Schedule II controlled substance.
• Lorenzo Campbell Troutman Jr., 57, of Hart Road, Rockwell, on four opium charges going back to October — trafficking by delivery, by possession and by transportation, and conspiracy to traffick.
Anyone has information about those wanted by the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office should call the department at 704-216-8700.