Conover Man Sentenced To Serve At Least Nine Years For Drug Offenses

A Catawba County man will serve a minimum of nine years in prison after a Catawba County jury found him guilty of drug offenses, and he admitted to his status as a habitual felon.

40-year-old Derrick Shay Bishop of Conover was found guilty of possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. The guilty verdict was returned Wednesday, August 9th after a trial that lasted two and a half days.

The Honorable Gregory R. Hayes, Superior Court Judge from Catawba County, imposed the sentence for Bishop. The maximum sentence imposed for Bishop is eleven years. The jury delivered its verdict following approximately 45 minutes of deliberation.

Bishop’s prison sentence was enhanced by his habitual felon status that included prior convictions for financial card theft in Alleghany County, possession of controlled substance on prison/jail premises in Caldwell County and breaking/entering in Catawba County September 2002.

On September 11, 2021, an officer from the Conover Police Department responded to a report of an unconscious, suspicious person parked at a gas pump at a convenience store.

When the officer made contact with the defendant, he saw digital scales with a white, crystal-like substance in the passenger seat of the vehicle. Bishop admitted to using Suboxone earlier that day and that he was on probation out of Caldwell County.

A search of the defendant turned up a pill bottle from his pants pocket that contained methamphetamine, Alprazolam and Suboxone along with plastic bags. Bishop was arrested and placed in custody at that time.

The case was investigated by Conover Police Department. Assistant District Attorney Hayden Duncan handled prosecution for the State, with aid provided by Legal Assistant Britnee Ulsamer.

Photo: Conover Police Department