Murphy: Sheriff gets gun donation
The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office extends appreciation to Cherokee Guns and owner Doc Wacholz for a donation of five AR-15 rifles. These rifles will be used to support law enforcement operations and help ensure deputies have the equipment necessary to effectively respond to a variety of situations in the field.
Community partnerships play a vital role in helping law enforcement agencies serve and protect the public. The support shown by Cherokee Guns reflects a strong commitment to the safety and well-being of the citizens of Cherokee County.
Sheriff Chris Wood expressed gratitude for the contribution, saying in a release that donations such as this help enhance the capability and readiness of deputies while also demonstrating the positive relationship between local businesses and the sheriff’s office.
The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Wacholz and Cherokee Guns for their generosity and dedication to supporting local law enforcement.
Andrews: Bribes of beer and smokes
Andrews police arrested two men alleging that they tried to bribe two people into dropping charges against them in earlier cases.
Andrews residents Christopher Robert Hamilton, 34, and Benjamin Davis Morgan, 39, were accused of offering the two people “two weeks’ supply of beer and cigarettes in exchange for dropping charges in multiple pending cases,” according to court documents.
The case started as misdemeanor larceny and possession of stolen property – a flat-screen television – on Feb. 23, for which Hamilton had posted $10,000 bond.
It escalated to felony intimidating witness and misdemeanor assault – shoving a witness into a table at the DG Market in Andrews on Feb. 27 – for which Hamilton posted a $75,000 bond.
Hamilton, and now Morgan, face two felony charges – conspiracy and obstructing justice – involving the promise of beer and cigarettes on March 12. Hamilton posted a $25,000 bond, while Morgan remained in custody as of Monday with bond set at $10,000 secured.
Andrews: Encounter ends in arrest
Andrews Police Chief Caleb Stiles said a vehicle was stolen from the DG Market, not far from the police station, on March 7.
“I got lucky and spotted it about 10 minutes later turning onto Stewart Road from U.S. 19,” Stiles said. “I chased him a couple miles up Tatham Gap before he jumped and ran. With the help of the sheriff’s office, we caught him pretty quick.”
Travis Wesley Orr, 38, a homeless man from the Robbinsville area, has been in custody at the Cherokee County Detention Center in Murphy since March 7.
Orr has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon, injury to personal property, larceny of a motor vehicle, flee/elude arrest with a motor vehicle and resisting a public officer.
On March 6, Orr allegedly was driving a Dodge truck, “striking the victim with the moving vehicle,” according to court records. He was also charged with damaging the truck, which he didn’t own.
On March 7, Orr allegedly stole a 2002 Chevrolet S10 truck valued at about $5,000.
Stiles won the March Republican primary for Graham County sheriff and faces a Democrat in the Nov. 3 general election. His encounter with Orr was not the first time he has arrested a Graham County resident while chief in Andrews.
“Ironically, the past three arrests I’ve made have in Andrews have been Graham County residents or warrants issued in Graham,” he said.
Unaka: Area builder faces charges
A Cherokee County home builder faces felony charges stemming from four building projects he received a total of $211,744.55 in payment for but never completed.
Timothy Pratt, 58, of Unaka and McKinney, Texas, was free on bond following his arrest on March 11. He is charged with obtaining property through false pretense in four separate cases:
- On or about Aug. 25, 2025, he “unlawfully, willfully and feloniously did knowingly and designedly, with the intent to cheat and defraud, obtain $40,000” from an individual “by means of a false pretense which was calculated to deceive and did deceive,” according to court documents. The false pretense that he got paid to do work that he didn’t complete. Bond was set at $2,500 for this charge.
- On or about May 28, 2024, he obtained $22,500 for a different job. Bond was set for $2,500.
- On or about April 27, 2023, he obtained $46,861.64 for another project he didn’t complete. Bond was set at $2,500.
- On or about Aug. 13, 2024, he obtained $102,392.91 for another project he didn’t complete. Bond was set at $2,500.
Pratt’s Facebook page described him as owner of Vineyard Creek Construction starting in 2001 until present. However, his website was offline.
“I build upscale log homes in my development – Vineyard Creek Estates as well as building custom log, timber frame and conventional homes off the property,” he wrote on Facebook.
Ranger: Sex offender gets arrested
Local resident Robert Gee Stalcup, 44, was arrested March 18 on multiple charges related to weapons violations and failure to comply with sex offender registry requirements.
Cherokee County sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of shots fired on Willow Tree Lane in
Ranger. Cherokee County Dispatch advised that a man was walking along the roadway shooting a firearm.
Deputies secured the scene and interviewed witnesses. They identified Stalcup as the individual involved. He has a prior felony conviction associated with his status as an aggravated sex offender from convictions for second-degree kidnapping of a minor and sexual battery dating to 2008, according to court records.
He was taken into custody without incident and charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Further investigation revealed that Stalcup was not residing at his registered address of 79 Gold Branch Estates Lane. Instead, he
had been staying on Willow Tree Lane for a period exceeding what is permitted by state law without notifying the registering sheriff of his change of address.
As a result, he was additionally charged with failure to notify the registering sheriff of a change of address.
Stalcup was brought before a magistrate, where charges were formally issued. He is being held in the Cherokee County Detention Center without bond.
Sheriff Chris Wood said, “The safety of our community is our top priority. Individuals who are required to register as sex offenders are held to strict legal standards for a reason. When those individuals fail to comply with registration requirements or unlawfully possess firearms, they pose a serious risk to public safety.”
Ranger: Two arrested in B&E case
Cherokee County sheriff’s deputies investigating a breaking and entering report arrested two people after checking inside the building.
About 11:30 a.m. March 18, deputies responded to a residence at 4545 W. U.S. 64 in Ranger. Deputies spotted a vehicle parked in the driveway just before the property owners arrived. The property owners said the residence had been unoccupied for about 10 years and a vehicle had been stolen from the property in December 2025.
The residence was built in 1900, according to tax records. The property owners provided a key to the door and, as deputies made entry and announced their presence, they encountered several animals and a man later identified as Brian Wheeldon, 44, who complied with commands and was taken into custody without incident.
Deputies were then advised that a second individual was inside the residence. Additional deputies arrived and located a woman, later identified as Ashley Crisp, 33, who was also taken into custody without incident.
According to a release, deputies observed evidence indicating the residence had been occupied, along with drug paraphernalia inside the home. “Further investigation led to the discovery of suspected methamphetamine in the vehicle located on the property.”
Wheeldon and Crisp told deputies they were homeless and entered the residence believing it to be vacant. They were each charged with second-degree burglary and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance.
Wheeldon is also a registered sex offender and was in violation of his registration requirements at the time of this incident. He was also charged with failure to notify the registering sheriff of a change of address.
The two were taken to the Cherokee County Detention Center in Murphy. Crisp was released a day later after posting $12,500 bond. Wheeldon remained in custody as of Monday with a bond set at $70,000.
“Our deputies responded quickly and handled this situation safely and professionally,” Sheriff Chris Wood said. “While we understand that some individuals may be facing difficult circumstances, unlawfully entering and occupying private property will not be tolerated.”
Raleigh: Prescribed burns near
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is advising the public that if they see smoke on state game lands through summer, they can check whether it’s a prescribed burn through its Prescribed Burns Dashboard mapping system.
“Most of the prescribed burning on game lands occurs between January and March because the cool, humid air with minimal wind provides conditions for low intensity fires,” Forestry Program Leader Casey Phillips said in a release. “However, we will still conduct burns well into spring and summer, because growing season fires provides for better control of young hardwoods in certain habitats.”
The NCWRC conducts 200-300 prescribed burns across 20,000-30,000 acres each year to restore and maintain wildlife habitat on most of the 2 million acres of state game lands used by hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers throughout North Carolina. A prescribed burn is an intentional burning of vegetation and one of the most beneficial and cost-effective methods of managing habitat for wildlife.
Prescribed fires reduce the use of hazardous fuels and improve biodiversity at a significantly larger scale than relying solely on chemical or mechanical methods. Mowing and spraying can be effective tools for wildlife habitat improvements but are much more expensive.
Details: Visit NCwildlife.gov/gamelands.
Sylva: 44-year term for child porn
A Macon County man convicted in Jackson County on child pornography charges could spend up to almost 44 years in prison, and cannot serve less than 13 years, District Attorney Ashley Welch said in a release.
A Jackson County jury convicted Lynnville Morgan Charles, 54, on five counts of second-degree exploitation of a minor after detectives found pornographic material on his phone.
On May 14, 2024, following a Jackson County Sheriff’s Office traffic stop and drug arrest, Sgt. Gabe Ashe seized Charles’ phone. Detectives Ridge Parris and Trevor Baldwin obtained search warrants for the phone, allowing forensic examination. This resulted in the discovery of child pornographic images.
Superior Court Judge Roy Wijewickrama handed down five consecutive sentences of 33 months to 100 months, plus required Charles register as a sex offender for 30 years after being released from prison.
Offenders in North Carolina must serve the entire minimum sentence and at least 85% of the maximum. Inmates can reduce their prison sentences, dependent on good behavior and participation in work, education and treatment programs.
ARRESTS
The following were booked through the Cherokee County Detention Center from March 15-21, 2026. Those listed should be presumed innocent unless proven guilty. To report criminal activity, call the automated tip line at 828-837-1344.
- Lavina Jo Alvis, Murphy, 35, 3-15, three counts second-degree trespass, simple possession schedule II controlled substance, assault and battery, injury to real property.
- Bryan Kasey Austin, Andrews, 41, 3-15, weekender.
- Jessica Lenae Grubb, Andrews, 40, 3-15, felony aid and abet.
- Christopher Robert Hamilton, Andrews, 34, 3-15, felony conspiracy, obstructing justice felony.
- Benjamin Davis Morgan, Andrews, 39, 3-15, felony conspiracy, obstructing justice felony.
- Bryan Kasey Austin, Andrews, 41, 3-16, weekender.
- Jadye Elizabeth Didio, Wright, Minn., 35, 3-16, second-degree trespass.
- Cathy Holder Lane, Robbinsville, 61, 3-16, possess methamphetamine.
- Callie Lynn Royal, Andrews, 63, 3-16, misdemeanor larceny, possess methamphetamine.
- Enoch Bryson Gillespie, Andrews, 22, 3-17, second-degree trespass, injury to real property.
- Jerry B. Goss, Robbinsville, 29, 3-17, holding for other agency.
- Virgil Dean Hancock, Murphy, 58, 3-17, misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
- Jason Anthony Hooks, Murphy, 53, 3-17, holding for other agency.
- Gherald Edward King, Murphy, 40, 3-17, civil contempt.
- Felicia Marie Kinnel, Murphy, 35, 3-17, obtain property false pretense.
- Haley Alecia Ledford, Marble, 23, 3-17, two counts sentenced.
- Ashley Tonya Crisp, Murphy, 33, 3-18, second-degree burglary, possess schedule II controlled substance.
- Elizabeth Amelia Diaz, Marble, 23, 3-18, failure to appear on a misdemeanor.
- Robert Gee Stalcup, Murphy, 44, 3-18, driving with license revoked not impaired revoked, fail to report new address sex offender, possession of firearm by felon.
- Brian Robert Wheeldon, Murphy, 44, 3-18, second-degree burglary, possess schedule II controlled substance, fail to report new address sex offender, probation violation.
- Jason Bearugeard Wolf, Hayesville, 53, 3-18, safekeeping.
- Clyde Jason Ball, Brasstown, 44, 3-19, failure to appear on a felony.
- Brandon Leon Hall, Murphy, 30, 3-19, driving while impaired, open container alcohol violation.
- Brent Ronde Cecil Williams, Cleveland, Tenn., 51, 3-19, resisting public officer.
- Bryan Kasey Austin, Andrews, 41, 3-20, weekender.
- Mario Benson, Andrews, 54, 3-20, weekender.
- Kyle Fergus Orr, Hayesville, 30, 3-20, larceny after break/enter.
- Milton Register Jr., Murphy, 57, 3-20, misdemeanor larceny.
- Jacob Samuel Warren, Candler, N.C., 23, 3-20, possess stolen firearm, three counts carrying concealed gun.
- Todd Anthony Buchanan, Murphy, 58, 3-21, assault inflict serious injury, two counts larceny of motor vehicle, felony larceny free text, failure to appear on a felony, possession of firearm by felon, assault on a female.
- William Joseph Grindstaff, Robbinsville, 31, 3-21, holding for other agency.
- Kadence Christian Mowatt, Murphy, 18, 3-21, failure to appear on a misdemeanor.
- Samuel Jason Murrin, Murphy, 46, 3-21, holding for other agency.