Deputies serving warrant witness drug transaction, arrest five
Published 12:00 am Thursday, March 6, 2025
Jacob Scott Pilkington
John Grant Corl
Heather Michelle Miller
Joshua Michael Jones
Anthony James Sadler
By Elisabeth Strillacci
SALISBURY — Deputies at a residence to serve an arrest warrant witnessed what appeared to be a drug transaction in front of them in the driveway of the residence, which led to a search warrant and five arrests, according to Rowan County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Captain Mark McDaniel.
In a press release, McDaniel said two deputies from the civil division of RCSO went to a home in the 500 block of St. Matthews Church Road on Feb. 28 at about 9:30 a.m. to serve an arrest warrant on Joshua Michael Jones.
The deputies pulled into the driveway behind a gray Ford Explorer that turned in just ahead of them and ended up watching what appeared to be a drug transaction take place. In addition, the deputies confirmed that the man standing outside the vehicle, who was a party to the transaction, was Jones.
Officials detained Jones and the driver, whom they identified as Jacob Scott Pilkington, after they saw drug paraphernalia in plain sight in the Explorer.
At the same time, three deputies on the other side of the house saw a man run out of the house and try to hide behind an outbuilding. As they approached him, Sadler came out of his hiding place and tossed something into the bushes. That man was identified as Anthony James Sadler, and he was detained while deputies searched for the item he had thrown away. Investigators found a container with methamphetamine inside, and Sadler was taken into custody.
In addition to drug paraphernalia, Pilkington was also in possession of methamphetamine.
Investigators then applied for and received a search warrant for the property, including the house, a detached garage, a camper and several outbuildings. During the search deputies located 156 grams of methamphetamine, Psilocybin mushrooms, wax marijuana and drug paraphernalia, along with an operational moonshine still. ALE was called in to process the moonshine still.
As a result of the investigation, deputies made the following arrests:
• Jacob Pilkington was charged with possession of methamphetamine, driving while license revoked, possession of drug paraphernalia, simple possession of a schedule III controlled
substance, and given a $1,500 secured bond
• John Corl was charged with maintaining a dwelling for controlled substance and given a $3,000 secured bond;
• Heather Miller was charged with trafficking in methamphetamine, felony possession of a schedule I controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia and was denied bond on the pre-trial integrity act
• Joshua Jones was charged with failure to appear and give a $1,000 secured bond
• Anthony Sadler was charged with possession of methamphetamine and given a $5,000 secured bond.
“These arrests are yet another example of the dedicated service that each division of the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office provides each day,” said Sheriff Travis Allen. “This aggressive, proactive enforcement by our civil division is representative of our office-wide mission of targeting local drug houses and drug dealers. As sheriff, I am very proud of these men and women who serve our county in such a dangerous profession.”
