Staff
Reports
A local man and woman face felony drug charges after they were stopped in an alleged stolen vehicle.
At approximately 9:05 p.m. Wednesday, June 12 Clay County Patrol Officer Drew Judge saw a 2006 Chevrolet truck traveling on US Hwy 64 east of Hayesville. He was on the look out for this truck because it had been reportedly being used by Anthony Edward Coffey, 36, of Hayesville, and Autumn Brooke Miller, 25, of Hayesville.
Coffey and Miller had outstanding felony warrants for their arrest for felony larceny of a 2013 KIA and the unauthorized use of a vehicle, specifically this Chevrolet truck.
Judge conducted a traffic stop of the truck and found Miller and Coffey in the vehicle. Miller quickly got out of the truck but was directed back inside for officer safety reasons.
Officers of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office also suspected that Coffey and Miller were distributing large quantities of fentanyl around the Clay County area. The following officers were working a drug interdiction operation in Hayesville on this evening and quickly responded to the location of Judge’s traffic stop. Lt. Tyler Faggard, Chief Deputy Joe Wood, Investigator Nick Queen, Sgt. Steven Smith, Officer Chris Harper and Cherokee County Investigator Parker Morgan soon arrived to assist Judge, according to a release from the sheriff’s office.
A search was conducted and Judge reported finding a clear, plastic baggy containing a “large amount of a white powdery substance” which was found on the ground where Miller had briefly stood after getting out of the truck.
The baggy was suspected to have been stored within Miller’s vaginal area. The substance field tested positive for fentanyl. Because of the substantial amount of fentanyl, Coffey and Miller were both charged with two counts of trafficking rather than felony possession. Trafficking of illegal drugs calls for mandatory active sentences.
Coffey and Miller were both arrested and charged with trafficking by possession of fentanyl, trafficking by transportation of fentanyl, felony larceny of the 2013 KIA and unauthorized used of the Chevrolet truck. Coffey was issued a $250,000 secured bond. Miller was held without bond due to her being out on pre-trial release for a pending felony charge.