Multiple arrests made in weekend surveillance, search of residence
Richard Glenn Scroggs
Staff
Reports
A July 28 surveillance operation that started in Hayesville led law enforcement officers to Asheville, where a local man was arrested and given a $1 million secured bond.
Clay County Sheriff Mark Buchanan unraveled the events that occurred on Friday that also resulted in the arrest of three others including the man’s 75-year-old mother.
He said Sheriff’s Officer Sgt. Tyler Faggard and investigator Nick Queen began the surveillance operation on Cherry Road in Hayesville and noted that Faggard, a federally sworn DEA Task Force Officer, and Queen were “specifically surveilling” Richard Glenn Scroggs, 38, of Hayesville.
Scroggs was already pending trial for six drug-related charges and two possession of a firearm by a felon charges and suspected of actively engaging in additional drug related activities.
During the surveillance, officers were observing a white KIA SUV owned by Scroggs’ mother, Patricia Blankenship Stamey, of Hayesville, according to Buchanan.
Faggard and Queen followed the KIA to a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Asheville where Scroggs was meeting with a male subject in a manner consistent with a drug transaction, Buchanan said.
The officers reported that Stamey was driving the KIA and Sheena Michelle Parton, 37, of Brasstown, Hailey Raeann Akins, 25, of Marble and Scroggs were passengers. The KIA soon left the Cracker Barrel and begin traveling west on I-40.
“Under Faggard’s authority as a federal officer, he coordinated with the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office to stop the KIA as it traveled from Buncombe County into Haywood County, N.C. Haywood and Clay Counties are both within the same Prosecutorial District.
A search of the KIA yielded a trafficking level of Fentanyl.” Buchanan said in a press release.
A trafficking level of drugs in North Carolina carries a mandatory active sentence. Scroggs was arrested for trafficking in opium or heroin and given a $1 million secured bond. He remains incarcerated.
Scroggs’ mother, Stamey, was arrested for trafficking in opium or heroin and felony maintaining a vehicle for drugs and released under a $75,000 secured bond.
Parton was arrested for felony conspiracy to traffick drugs and given a $40,000 secured bond.
Akins was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and released under a written promise to appear.
A search warrant executed at Scroggs and Stamey’s residence in Hayesville on Monday, July 31 resulted in additional arrests and involved a “large bulk” of methamphetamine, according to Buchanan.
Clay County Sheriff’s Office Lt Joe Wood, investigator Nick Queen, Sgt. Tyler Faggard, DEA FTO; Sgt. Steven Smith, Officer Ethan Henderson, officer Dillon Nelson, Special Projects Investigator Ed Figueroa and SBI Agent Kailah Kearney searched the Cherry Road residence around 7:30 p.m. and discovered 111.35 grams of methamphetamine along with firearms, drug paraphernalia and prepackaged methamphetamine which was seized, according to Buchanan.
Several were arrested as a result of the search:
• Ricky Eugene Walker, 50, of Brasstown, and Michael Dewayne Young, 34, of Marble, were found inside of the residence, and charged with trafficking in methamphetamine and felony maintaining a dwelling for drugs. Both men were placed under a $200,000 secured bond.
• Corey Blake Hermann, 24, of Talking Rock, Ga., and Amanda Renee Locklear, 29, of Hiawassee, were both charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and released after receiving a Criminal Summons.
•Travis Franklin Thurmond, 52, of Hayesville, was reportedly found in possession of an amount of methamphetamine and charged with possession with intent to sell or deliver methamphetamine, felony maintaining a dwelling for drugs, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Thurmond was placed under a $25,000 secured bond.