By Nathan Hardin
nhardin@salisburypost.com
GOLD HILL — A Salisbury man temporarily fooled authorities, providing fake names to officers Wednesday morning after he was arrested for possession of drugs.
According to the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to call about a suspicious person at the intersection of Gin Road and Spring Lake Lane.
Deputies said they found 26-year-old Matthew Dean “sitting underneath a street sign” at the intersection and that he “appeared to be impaired.”
The report said Dean, of 524 Mahaley Ave., was asked to take anything out of his pockets and he removed two uncapped syringes and two vials of white liquid. Dean also had a small package of what appeared to be a synthetic drug known as “bath salts.”
Deputies reported that the man had no identification and that he continued to provide false information to authorities.
After being taken to the Magistrate’s Office, Dean was mistaken for a man named “Daniel.”
A brief search led authorities to believe the man’s name was Daniel Wiser after a DMV photo “looked similar to the suspect.”
The report said deputies asked the man if that was his name and he agreed that it was.
Later Wednesday morning, a man named Daniel Wiser came to the Sheriff’s Office after a family member notified him that they had seen his information on the county jail’s website.
After a further investigation, authorities confirmed the man was Matthew Dean.
Dean was charged with resisting, obstructing and delaying an officer, possession of bath salts and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also charged with felony identity theft.
Dean had outstanding warrants for felony breaking and entering, felony larceny and three counts of felony larceny of a firearm.
He was given a $5,000 bond and was released after posting bond.