Two charged with heroin possession after high-speed pursuit on I-85
Published 2:53 pm Wednesday, October 7, 2020
By Shavonne Potts
shavonne.potts@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — Rowan Sheriff’s investigators charged men from South Carolina and Archdale with felony heroin charges after an interstate traffic stop.
Butler
The alleged driver, identified as Terrance “Bronc” Andre Butler, 42, of Greenville, South Carolina, was charged with trafficking heroin by possession and transportation, felony maintaining a vehicle, felony fleeing to elude and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Phillips
The alleged passenger, Brandon Lee Phillips, 26, was charged with trafficking heroin by possession and transportation, felony maintaining a vehicle and possession of drug paraphernalia.
On Tuesday, Sheriff’s Office investigators conducted a criminal interdiction stop on southbound Interstate 85 and attempted to stop a 2004 black Cadillac Escalade for a routine traffic violation, according to a news release.
The stop was attempted just north of the Peeler Road interchange, the Sheriff’s Office said. The Cadillac pulled over as if it was going to stop and then took off traveling over 110 miles per hour. During the 2-mile pursuit, a box containing digital scales and plastic bags containing heroin were thrown from the vehicle, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The Cadillac came to a stop south of Peeler Road and the two occupants were apprehended. During a search of southbound Interstate 85, deputies located approximately 100 grams of heroin, valued at $7,000. The packages had been torn open, and some of the heroin was not recovered.
Butler was on federal supervised release from a Sept. 17, 2007, conviction in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. Butler had received 160 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (crack), possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. This sentence was followed by a term of five years of supervised release.
Phillips has an extensive criminal history that includes charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, assault on a female, misdemeanor larceny (multiple), shoplifting and felony larceny on an anti-theft device. Phillips also has an outstanding probation violation.
Butler and Phillips were each issued a $100,000 secured bond.