CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. Catawba County Register of Deeds Donna Hicks Spencer is facing an embezzlement charge following a grand jury indictment, according to the State Bureau of Investigation.An SBI spokesperson confirmed Spencer was indicted Monday on charges of one count of embezzlement by a local or charitable officer, two counts of obtaining property by false pretenses and one count of the register of deeds failing to discharge duty. Neither immediately responded to a request for comment Friday. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. They now await sentencing in federal court, and Creighton and Greene have since reached financial settlements with Buncombein civil suits. The charges come after a months-long investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations into the allegations after the woman claimed Reid installed a tracking device on her vehicle. He wants $25,000. The indictment indicates that Reid obtained the GPS tracker from the Catawba County Sheriff's Office for the purpose of tracking his ex-girlfriend. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Example video title will go here for this video. Catawba County Director of Utilities and Engineering, Barry Edwards is charged with conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. Police: 2 charged with child's fentanyl-induced death in Catawba County On April 22, Long View police said they had two women in custody for the toddler's death. Documents obtained by the Citizen Times through a public records request show that beginning in mid-2015, Catawba government agreed to paynearly $290,000 through 11 contracts toEnvironmental Infrastructure Consulting, a limited liability company owned by Georgia-based engineer Joe Wiseman. Jack Chandler is listed on Catawba's websiteas interim utilities and engineering director. Spencer has been charged with embezzlement, two counts of obtaining property by false pretenses and failing to discharge the duty of Register of Deeds. All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. awardedat least $2.5 million in county contracts. A 33-year-old Hickory man was sentenced to 50 years in prison for production and possession of child pornography. Damario Leshaun Rousseau will be tried as an adult in the shooting death of 35-year-old Shonniel Blackburn in Hickory. And on March 13, he was charged with maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance and trafficking. SLIDESHOW - UPDATED Click here to view a photo gallery of items deputies found at Mayfield's home New: photos of his estate pic.twitter.com/akfBHeKolJ. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Edwards said in a federal courtroom Wednesday morning that its criminal investigation into Buncombe County government continues. HICKORY, N.C. - Nearly two dozen people were indicted in a drug trafficking bust in Catawba County this week. The contracts appear to have been initially handled by Catawba'sutilities and engineering department and are signed by director Barry Edwards. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Catawba also worked with Petra Engineering, a Huntersville-based firm that was identified by prosecutors as another previously employer of Wiseman. The individuals indicted by the grand jury are accused of attempting to distribute large quantities of crack cocaine, cocaine and methamphetamine, the release said. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. According to the countys website, Spencer has served as Register of Deeds since December 2004. You have permission to edit this article. 69-year-old suffers stroke in his N.C. home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. Neither Catawba County Manager Mick Berry nor Board of Commissioners Chairman Randy Isenhower responded to questions from the Citizen Times regarding whether officials have reviewed their business relationship with Wiseman, or whether they've been contacted by federal investigators. Related: Catawba County Register of Deeds charged with embezzlement as elected official. He is charged. Narcotics officers received a number of tips on the Drug Tip Line at 704-736-8606 and complaints from citizens to help identify the street level dealers. The judge told Reid if he is convicted of all five indictments he could face more than eight years in prison. Please subscribe to keep reading. Catawba Co. Register of Deeds Donna Hicks Spencer is facing an embezzlement charge after a grand jury indictment per @SBI1937 The state started investigating allegations in 2020 that Spencer fraudulently obtained improper compensation during her time as an elected official @wcnc pic.twitter.com/8XLvHzNoAn. Police say additional charges are expected. Breaking Lincoln County- Former Catawba Sheriff Candidate Jason Reid indicted on felony and misdemeanor charges. You have permission to edit this article. The federal indictments were returned by a grand jury on October 15 and 16, 2013, but remained sealed until today's arrests. Jason Reid appeared in court on Friday after being indicted by a Lincoln County grand jury on felony and misdemeanor charges. The indictment also states that Reid repeatedly contacted his ex-girlfriend and sent her messages detailing her location when she did not know how he knew where she was. CATAWBA COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - Twenty-two people are being indicted in a drug trafficking operation in Catawba County. Eric Theodore Flynn, 48, of Newton was charged with possession of methamphetamine. CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. Former Catawba County Sheriff's Office Capt. . He wants $25,000. A federal grand jury indictment handed up in August accused Buncombe County Manager Wanda Greene and her assistant managers Mandy Stone and Jon Creighton of taking vacations, meals, wine, game. Investigators said the stalking allegations involved Reid allegedly placing a tracking device on his ex-girlfriend's car and then sending her several text messages of places she had traveled. Channel 9s Dave Faherty was the only local TV reporter there as Spencer was released from jail. "This entire situation is a political attack," Reid said before the election. Constitutional carry bill aims to eliminate handgun permits, Medic: Teen dead, driver seriously injured in crash on I-485 in west Charlotte. 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The Brookford Police Department is being featured on the television show On Patrol: Live on Reelz. Melissa Dawn Campbell, 37, of Charleston Trail in Cherryille was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and possession of methamphetamine. The indictments were returned Monday but released Friday. Register of Deeds accused of embezzling more than $100,000 from Catawba County. Damario Leshaun Rousseau will be tried as an adult in the shooting death of 35-year-old Shonniel Blackburn in Hickory. Donna Hicks Spencer turned herself in on a Tuesday morning in Dec. 2021 to the Catawba County jail. 69-year-old suffers stroke in his N.C. home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. Two firearms were also seized during the operation. The Lincoln County Grand Jury returned 64 charges for the narcotics violations. Charges range from possession with intent to sell and deliver to sale, deliver and trafficking in narcotics. Man with long criminal record served with financial crime charges in Rowan Co. PLAN AHEAD: Latest Weather Forecast Video. The investigation into her possible criminal conduct was opened by the N.C. State Bureau of Investigations in April of 2020, when it was alleged that Spencer had fraudulently obtained improper compensation during her time as an elected official. 22 people indicted in Catawba County drug trafficking operation. Check back with wsoctv.com for updates on this story. Green, who now operates a private practice in Hickory, served as a N.C. Superior Court judge for sevenmonths in 2002, according to hiswebsite. "The recordsspeak for themselves, and there isn'tanything else I can add," Bechtel said Friday. Catawba County Register of Deeds Donna Hicks Spencer is facing an embezzlement charge following a grand jury indictment, according to the State Bureau of Inv. and provided for universal male suffrage (U.S. Senate, 1871). The indictments claim she fraudulently reported overtime and comp time hours while she was not working. Asheville police arrested Green on March 31 at Baymont Inn on Hendersonville Road, where he reportedly engaged in a felony sex act with a 14-year-old, according to an APD spokeswoman and police reports. Copyright 2021 WBTV. He remains under target or subject status by federal investigators, according to civil court records filed by his attorney, meaning a grand jury or prosecutors either have substantial evidence linking him to a crime or his conduct is within the scope of the grand jury's investigation. Christopher Lewis, an attorney representing Wiseman in the countys civil suit against, did not respond to a request for comment Friday. Those arrested were placed in the Catawba County Detention Center. Both still are on Catawba'sBoard of Commissioners, with Beatty serving as vice chair. Man died Wednesday. Fred Christian Smith, 44, of Iron Station is charged with two felony counts of possession with intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine and sell and delivery of methamphetamine. Prominent Catawba County lawyer Daniel Ray Green, 64, was in court in Buncombe Countythis week, but he wasn't representing a client. Former Catawba County utilities director sentenced for bribery conviction Barry Edwards, 66, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison after being found guilty of accepting bribes from 2012 . She's remained in her elected position since December 2004. CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. - A former captain with the Catawba County Sheriff's Office is facing multiple criminal charges after being indicted following a months-long state investigation. The Citizen Times wasunable to reach Edwards. Catawba County Register of Deeds Donna Hicks Spencer is facing an embezzlement charge following a grand jury indictment, according to the State Bureau of Investigation.An SBI spokesperson confirmed Spencer was indicted Monday on charges of one count of embezzlement by a local or charitable officer, two counts of obtaining property by false pretenses and one count of the register of deeds failing to discharge duty.https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/catawba-county-register-of-deeds-indicted-for-embezzlement/275-27138ea9-b41f-4e56-b537-32b40f0e0b19 Creighton and Stone, who succeeded Greene as county manager before abruptly retiring in June 2017, each have since pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge. A federal grand jury indictment handed up in August accused Buncombe County Manager Wanda Greene and her assistant managers Mandy Stone and Jon Creighton of taking vacations, meals, wine, game tickets and other gifts from Wiseman in exchange for contracts. Court appearance for Catawba County Register of Deeds on embezzlement charges pushed to March, N.C. The cases of the 15-year-old and 17-year-old suspects will remain in juvenile court, unless either of them is indicted by the Catawba County Grand Jury, District Attorney Scott Reilly said in. Constitutional carry bill aims to eliminate handgun permits, Medic: Teen dead, driver seriously injured in crash on I-485 in west Charlotte. Despite the allegations, Reid said during his campaign that he would stay in the race,calling the accusations a political ploy. have pleaded guilty to corruption charges, vacations, meals, wine, game tickets and other gifts, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Please subscribe to keep reading. In Catawba, EIC was tasked with design services at a county landfill, evaluations of potential projects and financial analysis of solid waste funds. An SBI spokesperson . Contact Nate Morabito atnmorabito@wcnc.comand follow him onFacebook,TwitterandInstagram, Wake Up Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with the team at Wake Up Charlotte.SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify|| Stitcher|| TuneIn|| Google Podcasts. Former Catawba County Sheriff's captain indicted on several charges It also referencedtext messages from Reid to his ex's new boyfriend that detail locations of where he had been and a picture taken of his car while the couple ate at a restaurant. Elbert James Walton, 70, of Hickory and Jamey Danyel Lineberger, 44, of the town of Catawba, were among the 12 people indicted on drug charges stemming from undercover operations conducted by the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office dating as far back as 2020, a news release from the sheriffs office said. 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