Josh Sanders, the Kannapolis singer and pastor who became a hometown celebrity as a runner-up on 'The Voice,' was arrested on outstanding warrants stemming from traffic-related violations and an allegation that he obstructed a police officer. Kannapolis PD took Sanders into custody, and he was booked into Cabarrus County jail, according to court documents cited in the report.
The arrest, first reported by TMZ, lands in the middle of a contentious custody battle between Sanders and his estranged wife, Kendra, who separated in January. The couple has three children together, and the latest arrest adds another legal complication to their ongoing fight over who gets custody. Per court documents, Sanders has argued that he should have custody, while Kendra has accused him of being violent in front of the children.
Kendra has also alleged, per court documents, that Sanders drove with their children while intoxicated and that he has struggled with alcohol. Per the article, she said his alleged drinking negatively affected his career in the years after his run on 'The Voice.' Sanders, for his part, has accused Kendra of interfering with his relationship with their children.
A Pattern That Predates the Latest Arrest
This is not Sanders' first brush with law enforcement tied to the family's unraveling. He was arrested on April 27, 2026, in neighboring Rowan County and charged with violating a domestic violence protective order, a case that predates his latest booking by four months. Under North Carolina General Statute § 50B-4.1, knowingly violating a protective order is a Class A1 misdemeanor, the most serious misdemeanor classification in the state, and it gives police the authority to make an immediate arrest with or without a warrant.
The obstruction allegation now attached to Sanders' case falls under a different statute. North Carolina General Statute § 14-223 classifies resisting, delaying, or obstructing a public officer during official duties as a Class 2 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail. That law applies whether the interference is physical or not, and it is separate from the traffic-related warrants that also led to his arrest.
Dueling Allegations in Family Court
The custody dispute escalated further in June, when Kendra filed for primary custody with supervised visitation, alleging active alcoholism and domestic violence. Sanders responded by accusing her of parental alienation and filing his own civil trespassing complaint against her that same month, underscoring how the two sides have traded escalating legal claims since their separation.
None of the allegations made in family court filings have been proven, and both spouses have leveled accusations against one another as the case has unfolded. The criminal charges Sanders now faces, however, carry their own statutory weight independent of the custody dispute playing out in family court.
From Vineyard Worship Nights to National TV
Away from the courtroom, Sanders has long been a fixture of the Kannapolis community as lead pastor of Living Grace Church, which he co-founded in 2018 after informal worship gatherings at a local vineyard grew into a full congregation, according to the Salisbury Post. He followed his late father into Christian ministry, and his path to music stardom included two earlier runs at 'American Idol,' in Season 11 in 2012 and Season 14 in 2015, both of which ended after he earned golden tickets to Hollywood Week.
Sanders finally broke through nationally on 'The Voice' Season 25 premiere in February 2024, turning chairs for Reba McEntire and Dan + Shay with a performance of Nate Smith's “Whiskey on You” before choosing McEntire as his coach. He went on to finish as runner-up behind season winner Asher HaVon, a run that drew such civic pride that the City of Kannapolis and the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers hosted an official watch party at Atrium Health Ballpark for the finale. His momentum carried into that June, when he filled a main-stage slot at the Carolina Country Music Fest in Myrtle Beach after country singer Colt Ford suffered a medical emergency.
That same period of public celebration in 2020 followed a personal tragedy for Sanders and Kendra, who lost their newborn son, Leelynd Thomas, shortly after he was born prematurely at 23 weeks. Sanders has spoken publicly about how that loss, which occurred on his own birthday, deepened his faith and shaped his songwriting in the years before his television fame.
