By Shavonne Potts
shavonne.potts@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — A local man faces drug-related and breaking and entering charges after a police officer stopped him for a dirty license plate appeared to be covered on purpose.

The man was also tied to a home break-in earlier this month, and his wife was also issued a citation for misdemeanor drug-related offenses, a Salisbury Police department spokesman said.

Salisbury Police charged Jason Lee Powell, 42, of Neel Road, with felony breaking and entering and felony forgery. He remains in the Rowan County Detention Center under a $2,500 secured bond. Starla Nicole Powell, 38, was issued a citation for misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and simple possession of a schedule III controlled substance.

The incident occurred Friday at 10:35 p.m. when an officer following behind a white Honda Accord with Virginia license plates was traveling on West Jake Alexander Boulevard near Mooresville Road, said detective Russ DeSantis.

The plate was dirty and the officer couldn’t make out all of the numbers. So he couldn’t check the plate, DeSantis said. The officer stopped the vehicle as the driver made a turn onto Julian Road. The driver, identified as Powell, told the officer he didn’t have a license or a vehicle registration.

He told the officer the car belonged to his sister. The officer requested a K-9 to the scene. The dog alerted on the driver’s side door. The officer searched the car and found a container with three doses of 8 milligrams of subutex, which can treat pain and addiction to narcotics, and a bag of crystal methamphetamine and syringes.

Police allegedly also found a small bag of razor blades, bags with pill residue and 2.5 doses of eight milligrams of subutex. DeSantis further said the officer found items in the car that were tied to the burglary of a Salisbury home.

DeSantis said the break-in occurred Aug. 15 after a suspicious vehicle, a white Honda, was reported. The vehicle was parked beside a vacant home. During that incident, an officer approached the home and discovered someone was inside the house, DeSantis said.

The officer said in his report about the Aug. 15 incident that he was met by a Joshua Thomason, who said he was the caretaker of the property. Thomason was with Powell.

Thomason said he had permission to be in the home. However, a relative of the homeowner said he was no longer allowed inside the home.

Thomason, 42, was charged with felony breaking and entering in the Aug. 15 incident. He remains in the Rowan County jail under a $5,000 secured bond.