Agents Arrest County Man for Meth

On 02-21-2019 Lee County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Agents arrested Brian Keith Douglas Jr., 25 years old of 200 Cranes Drive Sanford NC, 27332 for Possession of Methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Douglas Jr. was jailed under a $5,000.00 secured bond. 

Willow Ridge Drive Man Arrested for Heroin

On Saturday February 17, 2019 Lee County Sheriff’s Office narcotics agents arrested Demetrious Devon Welch age 28, of 189 Willow Ridge Drive, Sanford. Welch was found by agents to be in possession of ½ of a gram of heroin. Welch was charged by agents with one count of felony possession of heroin, and one count of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Welch was jailed under a $5,000.00 secured bond. 

Pilson Road Man Arrested for Crack Cocaine

On Saturday February 17, 2019 Lee County Sheriff’s Office narcotics agents arrested Robert Lee Perry age 61, of 2256 Pilson Road, Sanford. Perry was arrested and charged by agents with one count of felony possession with the intent to sell and deliver (CRACK) cocaine, one count of felony sell and deliver (CRACK) cocaine, and one count of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Perry was jailed under a $10,000.00 secured bond. 

Pilson Road Man Arrested For Cocaine

On Wednesday February 13, 2019 Lee County Sheriff’s Office narcotics agents arrested Alexander Jordan Swann, age 19 of 2052 Pilson Road.

Swann is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to sell and deliver (Crack) cocaine, two counts of sell and deliver cocaine, and two counts of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Swann was jailed under a $30,000.00 secured bond.  

IRS Phone Scam - Don't Fall For It!

Every tax season, we receive reports of scammers attempting to impersonate IRS employees. Our elderly community members are typically the most vulnerable to these types of scams. Please take the time to warn your older family members, neighbors, and friends.

Watch this short video to learn how to spot scammers: https://youtu.be/i4nCy6Xs6R8

It's important to remember the IRS will not:

- Call you to demand immediate payment. The IRS will not call you if you owe taxes without first sending you a bill in the mail.

- Demand that you pay taxes and not allow you to question or appeal the amount you owe.

- Require that you pay your taxes a certain way. For instance, require that you pay with a prepaid debit card.

- Ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

- Threaten to bring in police or other agencies to arrest you for not paying.

Best advice when you or someone you know receives a suspicious call claiming to be the IRS is to HANG UP.

Sanford Woman Arrested For Drugs During Traffic Stop

Late Monday afternoon February 11, 2019, Lee County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics agents assisted Lee County Sheriff’s Office uniform deputies with a traffic stop. Uniform Deputies had taken Elizabeth Renee Kelly into custody for driving while license revoked. Kelly had attempt to evade Deputies by pulling into Walgreens parking lot and walking inside quickly thereafter. Deputies took Kelly into custody and in the course of the arrest located numerous types of narcotics in Kelly’s purse.

Agents charged Elizabeth Renee Kelly age 41 of 136 Bunny Trail, Sanford, with one count of felony possession with the intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine, one count of felony possession with the intent to sell and deliver heroin, one count of felony maintaining a vehicle used to store and sell illegal controlled substances, one count of misdemeanor possession of marijuana, one count of misdemeanor possession of Xanax, and one count of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. 

Kelly was jailed under a $10,000.00 secured bond.  

Couple Arrested During Traffic Stop For Drugs

On Monday February 11, 2019 Lee County Sheriff’s Office narcotics agents arrested two individuals during the course of a vehicle stop. Shortly after stopping a vehicle on Swanns Station, agents discovered that two of the four passengers of the vehicle were both in possession of crack form cocaine. John Henry Furr Jr. age 49 of 539 Wahala Drive, Carthage, and Linsey Salzwedel of 167 Creekbend, Vass were both taken into custody.

Both Furr and Salzwedel were charged with one count of felony possession of cocaine, and one count of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Both Furr and Salzwedel received $5,000.00 secured bonds.  

Sixteen Year Old Arrested At Lee Senior High With Firearm

2/12/2019 @ 9:10AM Lee County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer (SRO), at Lee County High School located at 1708 Nash St. Sanford, was notified of an unauthorized person on campus. The SRO encountered Dennis Zabala (16) of 46 Frank St. Cameron NC who was in the company of a Lee County High student. After a conversation with Zabala, school officials learned he also had a vehicle on campus. After a search of his vehicle by school officials a pistol was found inside Zabala’s vehicle.

Zabala was taken into custody and charged w/ Possessing a firearm on school grounds, 1^st degree trespassing and possessing a firearm by minor; he was held under $35,000 secured bond.

Plank Road Man Arrested with Drugs in Jail

On 02-10-2019 Lee County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Agents arrested Gregory Lashawn WIlliams, 27 years old of 320 South Plank Road Sanford NC, 27332 for Possession of a controlled substance (Suboxone) in a detention/jail facility. 

Williams was jailed under a $5,000.00 secured bond.

Man Arrested For Communicating Threats to Lee Co Deputies

2/6/2019              Christian Enrique Canales (27) of 4909 N. Pointe, Sanford NC was arrested for communicating threats to Lee County Sheriff Deputies and driving while license revoked; he was held under $5,000 secured bond.

These charges stem from a Facebook Live video which was posted by Canales on Tuesday morning.

ICE Operations in Lee County Today

Today an operation was conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a local manufacturing company. This was the result of an ongoing investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that dealt with identity theft and fraud. It is unclear at this time if the local business was at fault. Again, this was an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  The Sheriff’s Office did assist with this operation today upon request by federal officials. There were approximately 30 individuals taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents and it is not known at this time how long these individuals will be detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  What I want Lee County residents to know is that this was not a random operation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Lee County, this was the result of an ongoing investigation by Immigration and Customs and isolated to one location.