Sheriff: Suspect faces numerous charges following ICSO investigation, drug raid

Posted on by Mike Fuhrman

FROM STAFF REPORTS

A 54-year-old man faces numerous drug charges following an investigation by the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office that ended in a drug raid on Friday, January 29.

James Morrison

Sheriff Darren Campbell announced the arrest of James Faron Morrison, who lives of East Greenbriar Road, in a news release Tuesday morning.

The ICSO began investigating after narcotics investigators received information that Morrison was distributing narcotics from his vehicle on a dirt portion of Corry Drive off of Twin Oaks Road, Campbell said.

Surveillance operations were established in the area Twin Oaks Road, Corry Drive area. During the operation, narcotics investigators utilized drones to watch the suspect, according to the news release.

From the observation of the traffic patterns in the area near the suspect and drone surveillance footage, investigators confirmed that Morrison was distributing narcotics from his vehicle on Corry Drive and one at least one occasion Morrison was armed with a rifle, Campbell said.

Evidence seized by the ICSO.

On Friday, Narcotics Unit investigators and members of Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team executed a search warrant and served arrest warrants on Corry Drive. 

When the warrants were executed, Morrison was in possession of 84.1 grams of crack cocaine, 30.9 grams of power cocaine and 229.61 grams of marijuana, plus five rifles, two handguns, and U.S. currency, according to the news release. The street value of the narcotics seized was over $16,000, Campbell said.

Morrison was arrested and taken to the Iredell County Detention Center, where he was charged with three counts of Felony Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver a Schedule II Controlled Substance, Felony Trafficking by Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance, Felony Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver a Schedule VI Controlled Substance, and two counts of Felony Maintaining a Vehicle for the Sale or Use of a Controlled Substance.

Morrison appeared before Magistrate Watkins, who issued a $160,000 secured bond on these charges.

“This case is the result of citizens and detectives working together,” Campbell said. “The community members were tired of this activity in their neighborhood. They trusted us to take this information and turn it into a great case. This case also proves we will use new surveillance technologies on our drones to watch and record these drug dealers. We want dealers to know we are watching them, and this investigation proves it.”