Suspicious behavior inside store leads to drug charges

Published 1:53 pm Wednesday, September 2, 2020

SALISBURY — A Salisbury woman remains behind bars after suspicious behavior at a local convenience store led to felony drug charges.

The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office charged Billieann Michelle Blaney, 28, of the 100 block of Trexler Loop, with felony possession of schedule I controlled substance, felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance, felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Someone at the store called law enforcement regarding a suspicious person, a male, who had been in and out of the store several times to buy lottery tickets. The man and a woman left the store in a silver Mercedes. An officer who nearby spotted the vehicle without its headlights on and made a traffic stop, according to a Sheriff’s Office report.

The officer spoke with the driver, Christopher Piercy, whom a report said appeared to be impaired. The driver said he knew his lights were out and handed the officer his driver’s license. A K-9 was called to the scene to walk around the perimeter of the vehicle. The dog alerted and the driver and his female passenger were asked to step out of the car.

The woman had a knife attached to her hip, the Sheriff’s Office said. The officer seized the knife for safety. A third officer was called to the scene to search the woman. The officer allegedly found a plastic bag with several small plastic bags inside on Piercy. The officer searched the vehicle and found a set of digital scales in the center console, a piece of burnt aluminum in the ashtray, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The officer allegedly also found a glass smoking pipe with drug residue on it inside Blaney’s purse, one Suboxone strip in her wallet, a syringe with a reddish-black liquid inside it and several pieces of burnt aluminum. Also, the officer found two pieces of wax paper with white powder inside that was found inside an eyelash container, a report said.

Blaney allegedly also had an Altoid container inside her bra that had 1.5 grams of a white powder substance as well as two straws. The officer allegedly also found a small amount of a crystal-like substance.

She told the officer the powder substance in the Altoid can was fentanyl and the other powder substance in the eyelash case was Goody’s headache powder. The substances were sent off for testing, the report said.

Piercy, 34, of the 1000 block of Safrit Road, was given a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia. He was picked up by a friend who lived in the area. Blaney remains in the Rowan County Detention Center under a $50,000 secured bond.