BRYSON CITY
Woman gets 21-year term
Shannon White, 44, was sentenced to 21 years in prison late Thursday for distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death, announced William T. Stetzer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition, Chief U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger ordered White to serve three under court supervision after she is released from prison.
According to evidence presented at the trial, witness testimony and documents filed in the case, White, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and resident of the Cherokee Indian Reservation, was involved in the distribution of narcotics in an around Jackson and Swain counties. On Jan. 27, 2019, a victim, identified in court documents as J.F., ordered heroin from White.
White agreed to supply the heroin to J.F. and supplied him with a substance that White believed to be heroin, but turned out to be fentanyl. According to trial testimony, J.F.’s use of the fentanyl resulted in J.F.’s overdose death. White continued to sell narcotics even after she became aware of the J.F.’s death, and falsely accused two other individuals of committing the crime.
“White peddled fentanyl, a highly toxic drug that resulted in a fatal overdose, and brazenly continued to distribute the lethal opioid even after she learned of the victim’s death,” Stetzer said. “White’s 21-year sentence imposed by the court reflects the severity of her conduct and the detrimental role drug dealers play in spreading deadly substances that plague communities and cause tragic deaths.”
MURPHY
Indecent exposure
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A woman who has a history of encounters with police was charged with indecent exposure on the morning of May 24.
Tina Michelle Cain, 50, was arrested around 10 a.m. after a citizen called dispatch and reported seeing a naked woman outside an apartment complex on Andrews Road while kids were in the area.
“She entered the residence before law enforcement arrived,” Murphy Police Chief Justin Jacobs said while explaining the arrest. “At that point in time, Ms. Cain was standing in the common area of the residence still completely nude, exposing her breasts and genitalia area to the public.”
An officer asked Cain multiple times to put on clothing so he could speak with her, but she refused, according to police who say residents of the building were then asked to help Cain get dressed. Police say Cain has a history of mental health issues.
“It’s unfortunate, but when it comes to indecent exposure, we have to charge her,” Jacobs said. “We can’t overlook that.”
From staff reports.