Police: three-month long drug investigations leads to charges

Published 11:18 am Thursday, July 20, 2017

By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — A Salisbury man was behind bars Thursday on charges stemming from a three-month narcotics investigation, police officials said.

Salisbury police charged Jerry Lorenzo Hawthorne, 35, of the 200 block of Ferndale Drive, with felony possession of a weapon by a felon; four counts of possession with the intent to manufacture, sell and deliver a controlled substance Schedule II (methamphetamine and morphine); four counts of felony selling a controlled substance Schedule II (methamphetamine and morphine); two counts of felony possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a controlled substance Schedule I (heroin or Ecstasy); two counts of felony selling or delivering a controlled substance Schedule I (heroin or Ecstasy); and one count of simple possession of  a controlled substance Schedule V (promethazine-codeine).

Authorities said Hawthorne sold various amounts of Ecstasy, meth, heroin, morphine and promethazine-codeine to undercover officers.

Officers arrested Hawthorne after he placed an order from an undercover officer for a handgun. He was arrested just before 2 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot of Sheetz convenience store, 1520 S. Jake Alexander Blvd.

He remains in the Rowan County Detention Center under a $200,000 secured bond.

Hawthorne has a number of previous convictions including possession with intent to sell a Schedule II controlled substance in both Guilford and Mecklenburg counties as well as maintaining a place for controlled substances, hit and run, and other drug offenses.

Contact reporter Shavonne Walker at 704-797-4253.