Winston-Salem woman gets 5-7 years as habitual felon

Published 2:21 pm Tuesday, March 7, 2017

SALISBURY — A Winston-Salem woman was convicted this week of being a habitual felon after a Monday court hearing. She was sentenced to five to seven years in prison.

Superior Court Judge Anna Mills Wagoner sentenced Faye Collins Evans, 51, who was in court for charges of felony fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle and felony possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, according to the Rowan County District Attorney’s Office.

On Dec. 16, 2015, officers with the Salisbury Police Department saw a silver sport utility vehicle turn onto Statesville Boulevard. Officers initiated a traffic stop since the SUV did not have its headlights on, a statement said. The officers asked the driver, later identified as Faye Evans, for her license and registration. She told the officer she had lost her driver’s license.

The officers asked Evans to remain in her vehicle while her driving status was confirmed. They determined Evans was wanted in Winston-Salem for felony assault. The officers returned to Evans’ vehicle and asked her to step out, but she drove away. Authorities said Evans drove through a fence at Livingstone College and stopped her car on Ellis Street, where she left her vehicle and ran.

Evans was caught a short time later. While searching her vehicle, officers said they found a small amount of cocaine in a plastic bag, along with drug paraphernalia.

Evans was convicted of felony possession of cocaine, felony conspiracy to sell cocaine, and felony forgery of an instrument, among other offenses.

Rowan County District Attorney Brandy Cook said if her office had not pursued Evans as a habitual felon, she could have received as little as 12 months in prison.