Last Wednesday, an ordinary traffic stop on Salisbury Highway in Statesville escalated into a major find for the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy R. Ball, a member of the Sheriff’s Office Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Team, pulled over Coty Sherrill Speight, which led to the unearthing of 11 catalytic converters and a stash of drugs. According to the department's press release, the catalyst for the discovery was Speight's vehicle behavior that raised suspicion.
With support from Sergeant N. Hodges and his canine partner, Levi, the team became aware of possible narcotics thanks to Levi's alert. This opened the door to a deeper investigation where Deputy Ball found 25.5 alprazolam pills and notably, 11 catalytic converters stuffed in the vehicle’s trunk. Speight, claiming to be the owner of a recycling business in Rowan County, supplied documentation that would surface to be outdated in the ensuing probe. It's not everyday deputies find a haul like this during a routine stop.
Quick on the heels of the find, Detective McNeely from the Criminal Investigation Division double-checked the legitimacy of Speight's recycling enterprise. The investigation disclosed that the business’s precious metal recycling permits had expired and the addresses linked to the business were no longer operational. This critical information relayed back by McNeely helped Deputy Ball advance his case against Speight.
Authorities didn't waste time. Deputy Ball secured an arrest warrant on September 4th on charges that included 11 counts of Felony Possession of Catalytic Converters. Speight's luck ran out the following day, as he was apprehended by the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office during an attempt to sell some of the converters. "This case highlights the strength of our agency’s teamwork across divisions," Sheriff Darren Campbell said in Iredell County's statement. "Our deputies consistently combine their resources and expertise to follow through on investigations quickly and hold offenders accountable, which ultimately makes our community safer."
