IFN Staff
A Statesville man faces 11 felony charges after being stopped for a traffic violation by an Iredell County Sheriff’s Office deputy.
Sheriff Darren Campbell announced the arrest of Coty Sherrill Speight, 44, of Windforest Drive, Statesville, in a news release Monday.
Deputy R. Ball, who is assigned to the ICSO Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Team, stopped a vehicle driven by Speight at 1541 Salisbury Highway on Wednesday, September 3, Campbell said. Recognizing the potential for illegal activity, Sergeant N. Hodges and his Canine partner Levi responded to assist, according to the news release.
After Canine Levi quickly alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle, deputies searched the vehicle and found 25.5 alprazolam pills, the sheriff said.
During the search, Deputy Ball also discovered 11 catalytic converters in the trunk, according to the news release.
When questioned by deputies, Speight said he owned a recycling business in Rowan County and produced limited documentation, Campbell said.
To ensure the matter was thoroughly investigated, Deputy Ball photographed the catalytic converters, collected Speight’s information, and forwarded it to the ICSO Criminal Investigation Division.
When Detective McNeely attempted to verify the information Speight provided, he discovered the recycling permits for precious metals had expired and that both business addresses provided by Speight were vacant, according to the news release.
The detective relayed this information to Deputy Ball, who obtained an arrest warrant on Thursday, September 4, from Magistrate Russell, charging Speight with 11 counts of felony possession of catalytic converters.
On Friday, September 5, Speight was arrested by the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office after attempting to sell some of the stolen catalytic converters, Campbell said. While in custody at the Davidson County Detention Center, he was served with the warrants obtained by Deputy Ball.
“This case highlights the strength of our agency’s teamwork across divisions,” Campbell said. “Our deputies consistently combine their resources and expertise to follow through on investigations quickly and hold offenders accountable, which ultimately makes our community safer.”
According to the ICSO, Speight’s criminal history includes the following charges: misdemeanor shoplifting, two counts of misdemeanor larceny, misdemeanor breaking and entering, two counts of driving while Impaired, 14 counts of driving while license revoked, felony receive goods represented to be stolen, and felony attempted trafficking heroin.
