ANDREWS
Woman has drug charge
A state laboratory test has confirmed that a jar found in a vehicle earlier this year contained 68 grams of morphine. As a result, the Andrews Police Department arrested Francisca Ann Rodriguez on Thursday afternoon and charged her with trafficking opium.
Rodriguez, a 33-year-old town resident, was previously charged with possession of methamphetamine and related drug offenses after police encountered her during an investigation at Fairview Mobile Home Park in April, according to a release.
During that investigation, an officer found a brown glass jar labeled “Morphine Sulfate” containing a powdery substance. A state lab test of the powdery substance confirmed it to be morphine, resulting in new warrants being issued for Rodriguez’s arrest.
Rodriguez is being held in Cherokee County Detention Center in Murphy on a $500,000 secured bond. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional arrests are probable.
SYLVA
Man guilty of sex abuse
Following two weeks of evidence and testimony, jury members needed only 29 minutes of deliberations to convict a Jackson County man on seven charges connected with sex abuse of a minor.
The key to cracking the case and stopping the abuse, according to District Attorney Ashley Welch, can be credited to Cherokee school teachers. After the child confided in them, they contacted law enforcement officers, setting this week’s verdict in motion.
“This young girl trusted them with the information about three horrific years of abuse,” Welch said in a release. “I cannot express strongly enough how important a role educators are playing in our children’s lives. Sometimes, it is lifesaving.”
Welch said jurors convicted Johnathon Micah Maney, 41, of:
- One count statutory rape of a child under age 13 by an adult.
- Two counts of statutory sex offense of a child under age 13.
- Four counts of indecent liberties with a child.
Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Bill Coward sentenced Maney to serve a total minimum of 51.3 years to a total maximum of 72.41 years in the Division of Adult Corrections.
In North Carolina, sentences are rendered in accordance with the Structured Sentencing Law, a General Assembly-approved range of minimum/maximum imprisonment ranges. Broken down, the sentences were:
- 300-420 months for statutory rape.
- 300-420 months consolidated for the two counts of statutory sex offenses.
- for the four counts of indecent liberties.
The sexual abuse started in August 2014, when the child was 9 years old. At age 14, “She felt comfortable enough to go to her teachers and tell them that she was suffering from anxiety and panic attacks from the abuse,” assistant district attorney Chris Matheson said. “They were her safe outlet.”
Matheson and assistant district attorney Jenica Hughes co-prosecuted.
“The verdict came in exactly three years to the day from when she told the first person,” Hughes said. “Now, with school back in session, we are again hearing of child abuse reports, because teachers are such important people in these kids’ lives.”
WAYNESVILLE
Man guilty in baby’s death
A Haywood County man who killed a baby left in his care will spend the remainder of his life in prison, District Attorney Ashley Welch said in a release.
Waynesville resident Dylan Brian Green, 25, pleaded guilty Friday in Haywood County Superior Court to first-degree murder for the July 18, 2019, death of 9-month-old Chloe Evans. Green faced a possible death penalty if convicted in a jury trial.
Chloe died of blunt-force trauma. A medical examiner also found a ligature mark around her neck. The biological mother had gone to work, leaving Green as the child’s caregiver. He was the sole person in the home when her injuries occurred.
“It was a difficult decision to accept a plea,” Welch said. “This was an innocent child at the beginning of her life viciously and senselessly killed.”
Welch said Chloe’s grandmother (on her biological father’s side), the primary family member involved in the case, requested Green receive life in prison.
RALEIGH
‘Booze It & Lose It’
State and local officials have a simple message – never drink and drive. Doing so this weekend could mean a trip to jail rather than to the beach or pool.
Through Sept. 11, law enforcement statewide will be stepping up patrols to stop impaired drivers during the annual Labor Day Booze It & Lose It campaign. Driving while impaired is against the law and could be deadly, and expensive. People charged with DWI can lose their license and pay thousands of dollars in court fees.
“By finding a sober ride home, you can prevent a fun summer night from turning tragic,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “More than 400 North Carolina families lost loved ones last year in alcohol-related crashes, and if we can stop even one family from experiencing this kind of loss, it will have been worth it.”
In 2021, 423 people died on North Carolina roads due to alcohol-related crashes, including 15 during the Labor Day Booze It & Lose It enforcement campaign period. Increased enforcement during specific campaign periods year-round is a key part of making North Carolina roads safer.
ASHEVILLE
Protect your social media
Social media has long been a favorite haunt of scammers. In a new phishing scam, con artists are going after businesses and individuals with verified accounts – a measure that was supposed to help prevent scams.
Here’s how the scam works. You receive a direct message or email that appears to come directly from Twitter, Instagram or another social media platform. It states that your verified account has been flagged, and you’ll need to re-verify it.
From staff reports.