Kenneth Otto Jones
On August 7, BCSO investigators requested the assistance of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), Hickory Police Department (HPD), and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS) in locating Jones, who was traveling from Charlotte, NC, to Morganton. CCSO deputies attempted to stop Jones’s vehicle on Interstate 40 near McDonald Parkway. Jones refused to stop, leading deputies in a vehicle pursuit.
During the chase, investigators observed Jones discard items from the vehicle near Clarks Creek on Old Conover–Startown Road and on St. Paul’s Church Road in Newton. The pursuit concluded on Fairgrove Church Road after Sheriff’s Investigators collided with Jones vehicle to prevent further danger to the public. Jones was taken into custody without further incident.
Recovered items included:
• Approximately 1,015 grams of crystal methamphetamine
• 4.4 ounces of marijuana
• $5,200 in U.S. currency
• Drug paraphernalia
Following the arrest, BCSO investigators obtained a search warrant for Jones’s residence in Morganton. With the assistance of the Morganton Department of Public Safety (MDPS), HPD, and NCDPS, investigators executed the warrant, recovering an additional 392 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
Jones has been charged with:
• Trafficking Methamphetamine
• Felony Flee to Elude Arrest
• Maintaining a Vehicle for a Controlled Substance
• Possession with Intent to Sell/Deliver Marijuana
• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
This joint investigation was made possible through the coordinated efforts of the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, Hickory Police Department – Official, North Carolina Department of Public Safety, and Morganton Public Safety.
Catawba County Sheriff’s Office