Blotter: Salisbury man charged with drug trafficking

Published 12:00 am Monday, August 31, 2020

SALISBURY — Rusty Lee Blackford, 31, of Salisbury, was charged Friday with eight felony drug charges.

Blackford was charged with three counts of felony trafficking opium or heroin; felony possession with intent to manufacture, sell or distribute a schedule II controlled substance; felony intent to sell and deliver a schedule II controlled substance; felony possession with intent to manufacture, sell or distribute a schedule I controlled substance substance; felony intent to sell or deliver a schedule 1 controlled substance; and felony maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for keeping and selling a controlled substance.

The incidents connected to the charges begin on Aug. 21, after Blackford allegedly possessed and sold Rowan County Sheriff’s Office detectives a gram of heroin and two grams of methamphetamine.

A warrant with an offense date of Aug. 25 alleges Blackford possessed 8 grams of methamphetamine and sold it to a detective in addition to an allegation that a Mercury Grand Marquis was used for keeping and selling methamphetamine and heroin.

Another warrant with an Aug. 25 offense date alleges the possession, sale and transport of “greater than 4 grams and less than 13 grams of heroin.”

In other crimes reports:

• Billy Joe Riddle, 39, of Salisbury, was charged with malicious conduct by a prisoner, two counts of felony assault with physical injury on a detention employee and misdemeanor communicating threats.

On Wednesday, Riddle allegedly spat at a Rowan County Sheriff’s Office detention officer, punched that officer in the face, told the officer he was going to stab him and kicked another officer in the stomach.

• Jamar O’Brien Still, 29, of Salisbury was charged with felony trafficking MDA/MDMA on Saturday after allegedly being found in possession of 28-199 grams.

• Jeremy Lynn Patton, 31, of Granite Quarry, was charged Friday with attempting to obtain property by false pretenses, misdemeanor possession of stolen goods and misdemeanor larceny.

Patton allegedly attempted to sell a stolen TV, valued at about $130, to Granite Pawn Shop. Patton allegedly attempted to steal other property from the same victim totaling about $600.

• Jason Lee Powell, 42, of Rockwell, was charged with breaking and entering and forgery on Saturday.

Powell allegedly broke into a Salisbury home on Aug. 15 and attempted to forge an endorsement on a check issued by First Union National Bank. Joshua Lee Thomason, 41, of Salisbury, was also charged with felony breaking and entering of the same home on Aug. 15.

• Betty Michelle Taylor, 27, of Salisbury, was charged Saturday with breaking and entering and larceny after breaking and entering. Taylor allegedly broke into a storage building and stole about $800 worth of tools on Tuesday

• Paul Matthew Carter, 40, of Thomasville, was charged with felony possession of heroin and felony possession of methamphetamine on Saturday.

• Christopher Ray Buiwe, 42, of Albemarle, was charged Friday with felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance, misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and misdemeanor possession of a schedule III controlled substance.

• Justin Blane Evans, 39, of Salisbury, was charged Friday with felony breaking or entering a motor vehicle, misdemeanor injury to personal property and misdemeanor larceny.

Evans was arrested in connection to an Aug. 19 incident in which he allegedly broke into a GMC Sierra, caused $200 worth of damage to the vehicle and stole an “electric winch, keys, tie down straps, dealer tag, blanket and trailer hitch,” totaling about $500 of value.

• Kimberly Erin Almond, 35, of Concord, was charged Friday with felony possession of a schedule I controlled substance and misdemeanor breaking and entering.

• Justin Brent Miller, 40, of Rockwell, was charged Saturday with felony breaking and entering, felony larceny after breaking and entering and misdemeanor second degree trespass.

• Basil A. Baker, 38, of Salisbury, was charged Saturday with possession of a stolen firearm valued at $300.

About Carl Blankenship

Carl Blankenship has covered education for the Post since December 2019. Before coming to Salisbury he was a staff writer for The Avery Journal-Times in Newland and graduated from Appalachian State University in 2017, where he was editor of The Appalachian.

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