Stanly sheriff’s office catches fugitives, seizes drugs

Published 2:07 pm Friday, December 10, 2021

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The Stanly County Sheriff’s Office Thursday arrested two suspects with out-of-county warrants while also seizing an amount of drugs during a traffic stop.

Deputies stopped Tina Marie Hiatt and Justin Wayne McDowell in a traffic stop on N.C. Highway 49 near Bell Road. Both suspects had warrants from Alamance County for charges including identity theft, obtaining property by false pretense and financial card theft.

During a search of the vehicle, quantities of heroin and methamphetamine were found, along with counterfeit checks and various items to produce checks.

Hiatt is being held at the Stanly County Jail under a $125,000 secured bond for the Alamance County warrants as well as possession of five or more counterfeit instruments and six counts of identity theft. Her initial court date was set for Friday.

McDowell is being held under a $150,000 secured bond. Along with the out of county charges, Stanly deputies charged him with possession of five or more counterfeit instruments, six counts of identity theft, possession with intent to sell and deliver schedule II controlled substance (methamphetamine) and possession with intent to sell and deliver schedule I controlled substance (heroin).

About Charles Curcio

Charles Curcio has served as the sports editor of the Stanly News & Press for more than 16 years and has written numerous news and feature storeis as well. He was awarded the NCHSAA Tim Stevens Media Representative of the Year and named CNHI Sports Editor of the Year in 2014. He has also won an award from Boone Newspapers, and has won four North Carolina Press Association awards.

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