By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
A Salisbury man was convicted in Rowan Superior Court and sentenced to more than 11 years for being a habitual felon and other drug charges.
Erick Thomas Eaton, 50, was convicted of trafficking opium/heroin, possession with intent to sell and deliver a schedule III controlled substance and being a habitual felon.
Eaton was sentenced to 11 years to 14 years, which was consolidated and will begin at the end of a sentence he is already serving. Eaton is currently serving a maximum of 11 months for possession with the intent to sell a schedule VI substance.
Assistant District Attorney Karen Biernacki tried the case July 13. Biernacki also tried Eaton in 1999, when he was initially convicted of being a habitual felon.
In December 2008, Salisbury Police Officers Adam Bouk and Suad Jakupovic arrived at the intersection of Shaver and Cemetery streets, where a group of people had gathered in the middle of the road.
Bouk instructed them to stand in front of the police vehicle. Everyone complied but one man, later identified as Eaton.
Eaton was seen throwing something white onto the sidewalk. Officers found a plastic bag, which contained several white pills. The pills were later identified as the painkiller Lortab.
The others in the group were checked and released when nothing was found. Eaton was charged.
On the way to the police department, Eaton repeatedly cursed the officers and called them racial slurs, police said.
Eaton previously been been convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon, multiple larcenies, resisting an officer, giving fictitious information to an officer, driving while license revoked, receiving stolen goods, injury to personal property, shoplifting, driving while impaired and assault on a female, according to the N.C. Department of Correction.