The following press release has been issued by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.  All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Murphy, NC— Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced the November 09th, 2018 arrest of 31 year old Matthew Wondra of Andrews, North Carolina and 20 year old Katelyn Helmick of Sylvania, Georgia for controlled substance violations and being fugitives from justice.

During the evening hours of November 09th, 2018, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office received information that a female was selling controlled substances at a local convenience store.  Deputies went to the area and were able to locate the vehicle that Helmick and Wondra were occupying at the time.  During the investigation, a search of the vehicle and persons of Helmick and Wondra recovered controlled substances, paraphernalia and US currency. Additionally, a wants and warrant check of both Helmick and Wondra revealed they were wanted in Georgia in connection with a major theft investigation.

Matthew Wondra was arrested and taken to the Cherokee County Detention Center where he was incarcerated for PWIMSD METHAMPHETAMINE, MAINTAIN PLACE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, POSSESS SCHEDULE II CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, EXTRADITION/FUGITIVE OTHER STATE, POSSESS MARIJUANA UP TO 1/2 OZ, SIMPLE POSSESSION SCHEDULE IV CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, POSSESS DRUG PARAPHERNALIA. Wondra is currently free after posting a $30,000.00 secure bond and has a November 29th, 2018 court date.

Katelyn Helmick was arrested and taken to the Cherokee County Detention Center where she was incarcerated for PWIMSD METHAMPHETAMINE, MAINTAIN PLACE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, POSSESS SCHEDULE II CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, EXTRADITION/FUGITIVE OTHER STATE, POSSESS MARIJUANA UP TO 1/2 OZ, SIMPLE POSSESSION SCHEDULE IV CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, POSSESS DRUG PARAPHERNALIA. Helmick is currently being held on a $30,000.00 secure bond and has a November 29th, 2018 court date.

Sheriff Derrick Palmer stated, “I want to commend the deputies on this arrest. They were diligent and pursued the investigation and not only took dangerous drugs off the street, but also located wanted fugitives. I would like to add that from this investigation we feel we can follow leads that will further our fight against the distribution of illegal substances in Cherokee County.”

To report suspicious activity and suspect violations of the law please call 828-837-1344 or submit a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov.

In August, Blairsville resident Arena Hall-Miller, Housekeeping Supervisor at Harrah's Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel, was a winner of the Caesars' 2018 Clean the World Employee Contest. Clean the World is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose goal is to reduce hotel waste and at the same time provide life-saving hygiene products to those in need around the world.

The highlight of Arena's award was an all-expense paid service trip to Zambia to assist Clean the World in distributing recycled hygiene products to those in need. Arena was accompanied by 2 other employee award recipients from Caesars casinos as well as Executive Director & CEO Sam Stephens, members of Children International and The Caesars Foundation.

During her trip, Arena had the opportunity to visit three community centers, the homes of children sponsored by Clean the World and the Children International office to learn about their everyday operations and how they make a difference within the communities. Arena, along with other volunteers, distributed an estimated 2,500 pounds of soap, serving 14,000 kids.

“The most memorable part of the trip was when we would arrive at all of the centers and could see the excitement in all of the children's faces,” said Arena. “They appreciated what we had done for them, and having them sing and dance for us was truly amazing!”

To Arena, being a Clean the World recipient for 2018 has been an honor. “I am grateful and honored to have been part of this global service trip,” said Arena. “I would like to thank my team for always going above and beyond, Caesars Entertainment for the opportunity to see how we can make a difference in other people’s lives, and Sam Stephens, Melanie Schwartz, and Jessica Pederson from Clean the World and Children International for a great experience.”

 
Murphy, N.C. – On November 5, Erlanger Murphy Medical Center and the Nurse Professional Practice Council honored a nine outstanding nurses through the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses ceremony.
 
The DAISY Award is a national award to honor nurses who define patient and family centered care. Audrey Hedden, BSN, won the 2018 DAISY Award for her dedication to providing comprehensive care extending beyond medical needs to her patients. The eight other nominees were Stephanie Forbess, BSN; Dana Hill, RN; Linda Hoefsmit, RN; Vickie Martin, RN; Melissa Myers, RN; Katie Moore, RN, FNP; Dawn Roper, RN; and Brandi Welch, RN. All of the nurses were recognized with stories detailing their outstanding patient-centered care they continuously provide.
 
Hedden was honored for her extraordinary effort to ensure that a homeless patient was well taken care of after discharge. She gathered supplies, food and even a new backpack for the patient so that his needs could still be met even after his discharge. Her compassion and serving heart earned her this year’s DAISY Award.
 
The DAISY Foundation was created in 1999 after Patrick Barnes passed away from Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura. His family wanted a way to honor him and show appreciation for the nurses’ compassion and kindness they extended to the whole family during his eight-week stay in the hospital. DAISY was born from his wife, Tena’s, imagination standing for Diseases Attacking the Immune System and through this the award for Extraordinary Nurses was created.
 
For more information about the DAISY Foundation or the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, please visitwww.DAISYfoundation.org.

On Thursday, November 8, Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, NC hosted a forum on drug and human trafficking with local law enforcement and social service organizations. Seventy attendees representing 17 organizations from across Western North Carolina gathered for the event. The intertwined issues of drug and human trafficking effect the entire country as well as our rural and seemingly isolated communities.

The meeting was led by Dr. Halleh Seddighzadeh, an international counter-trafficking advisor and Forensic Traumatologist. She has worked in refugee settings, war torn and crisis-affected communities with child and adult survivors of trafficking and torture in the Middle East doing psychological first aid and investigative research. Dr. Seddighzadeh frequently provides consultation and training to law enforcement agencies, service providers, faith-based organizations, prosecutors, investigators, medical practitioners as well as international and domestic businesses on trauma-sensitive best practices. 

It was the first forum of this nature in Western North Carolina. Attendees included the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Family Safety Program, EBCI District Attorney’s Office, REACH of Haywood, Macon, Clay & Cherokee Counties, Cherokee Indian Police Department, Andrews Police Department, as well as Haywood and Macon county Sheriff offices. The different organizations discussed their individual, local needs and shared their thoughts on how to work together to combat drug and human trafficking more effectively.

Jo Ray, Regional Vice President of Community Relations and Employee Wellness at Harrah's Cherokee said of the event, “It is important for Harrah’s Cherokee to be involved as we are dedicated to ensuring the communities in which we live and work are thriving and safe.” 

The following press release has been issued by Georgia Bureau of Investigations. 
​
(Bartow County - 11/5/2018)  –  As a result of a proactive undercover investigation coordinated by the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (CEACC), and the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, 20 people were arrested over a four-day period beginning Thursday, November 1, 2018.  Those arrested were charged with O.C.G.A. 16-12-100.2, Computer or Electronic Pornography and Child Exploitation Prevention Act of 2007 and/or O.C.G.A 16-5-46, Trafficking of Persons for Labor or Sexual Servitude. Additional charges may be forthcoming.

“Operation Paladin” was a four-day proactive effort centered in Bartow County, GA.  The operation took several months of planning.  The arrestees, ranging in age from 20 to 59, traveled from areas around Northwest Georgia with the intent to meet a child for sex.  One person that was arrested was a registered sex offender.  Multiple people were arrested that were in possession of suspected illegal drugs.  One person was arrested in possession of a firearm. Twenty-four (24) mobile phones were seized as evidence during the operation. 

The goal of “Operation Paladin” was to arrest persons who communicate with children on-line and then travel to meet them for the purpose of having sex.  Additionally, the operation targeted those that are willing to exploit children by purchasing sex with a minor. On-line child predators visit chat rooms and websites on the internet, find children, begin conversations with them, introduce sexual content and arrange a meeting with the children for the purpose of having sex.  The children these predators target are both boys and girls.  Since 2014, the Georgia ICAC Task Force has arrested over 100 people in similar operations. 

Over the course of the operation, over 30 cases were established that met the threshold for arrest. Twenty of those cases were concluded with arrests. During the multi-day operation, investigators had more than 200 exchanges with subjects on various social media or internet platforms. Many of those were exchanges in which the subject initiated contact with whom they believed to be a minor and directed the conversation towards sex. In some of those cases, the subject introduced obscene or lewd content, often exposing the minor (undercover) to pornography or requesting the child take nude or pornographic images for them. About half of the exchanges involved websites used for dating, socializing, or even websites used for classified advertisements. 

Although some websites promote themselves as being for “adults-only” it is not uncommon for law enforcement to work cases in which children access these sites, establish profiles claiming to be older, and then find themselves vulnerable to victimization, harassment, blackmail, or assault. Several subjects were identified as communicating simultaneously with multiple investigators posing as minors. Such activity confirms what investigators uncover conducting these types of investigations: that many predators specifically seek out minors on such websites to groom them as potential victims for sexual contact.

Along with those agencies who participated in the planning and coordinating of the operation, twelve (12) additional law enforcement agencies participated in “Operation Paladin” as members of the Georgia ICAC Task Force. These agencies were:

Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force

Cartersville Police Department

Columbus Police Department

Conyers Police Department

Floyd County Police Department

Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office

GBI-Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis Center (GISAC)

Gwinnett County Police Department

Hall County Sheriff’s Office

Marietta Police Department

Polk County Police Department

United States Department of Homeland Security

The proactive on-line investigation was a coordinated effort among the participating law enforcement agencies to combat this activity.  Bartow County Sheriff Clark Millsap stated, “This operation is a prime example of interagency planning and cooperation.  I am proud that we were able to host the Georgia ICAC Task Force at our facility to carry it out.  Moreover, I hope that these arrests send a loud and clear message: the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office has a zero-tolerance policy for exploitation of children.  We will continue to work with the ICAC Task Force whenever needed to stop these predators. Bartow County is a great community and we will work relentlessly to ensure that it remains a safe place for our children.” GBI Special Agent in Charge, and Commander of the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Debbie Garner remarked “The Bartow County Sheriff’s Office is one of our most active member agencies.  We appreciate their daily efforts to combat child exploitation.  This type of cooperation and collaboration is invaluable in the effort to keep our children safe from predators who seek to harm them.  This successful operation was a true partnership between all the agencies involved. We will continue to aggressively work together to protect our children.” 

The following were arrested and charged in Bartow County as part of “Operation Paladin”:

Randall Ball, W/M, Acworth, GA, 25 years of age, grocery stocker

Bailey Brown, W/M, Jasper, GA, 29 years of age, emergency home repair responder

Richard Brown, W/M, Trion, GA, 53 years of age, mill worker

Steven Byers, W/M, Jasper, GA, 33 years of age, electrician

Bryan Cain, W/M, Calhoun, GA, 36 years of age, unemployed/college student

Jeffrey Coleman, W/M, Cartersville, GA, 52 years of age, glass technician

Michael Crider, W/M, Cartersville, GA, 51 years of age, CAD operator

Daniel Dorough, W/M, Cartersville, GA, 56 years of age, self-employed landscaper

Daniel Ewart, W/M, Cartersville. GA, 38 years of age, tow truck driver

Shawn Jeffrey, B/M, Powder Springs, GA, 26 years of age, pest control technician

Clarence Mann, W/M, Kingston, GA, 59 years of age, truck driver

Vernale Mascall, B/M, Cartersville, GA, 25 years of age, fast food worker

Rick Paul, B/M, Dallas, GA, 25 years of age, Certified Nursing Assistant

Isaac Sanchez, H/M, Summerville, GA, 20 years of age, painter

Charlie Smith III, W/M, Cartersville, GA, 45 years of age, patient care technician

Thomas Smith, B/M, Rome, GA, 43 years of age, delivery driver

Timothy Smith, W/M, Cartersville, GA, 57 years of age, customer service

Conner Thrash, W/M, Woodstock, GA, 28 years of age, truck driver

Michael Turner, W/M, Villa Rica, GA, 37 years of age, unemployed

Michael Wills, W/M, Cartersville, GA, 34 years of age, tree service employee

The Georgia ICAC Task Force is comprised of 230+ local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, other related criminal justice agencies and prosecutor’s offices.  The mission of the ICAC Task Force, created by the U. S. Department of Justice and managed and operated by the GBI in Georgia, is to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in developing an effective response to cyber enticement and child pornography cases. This support encompasses forensic and investigative components, training and technical assistance, victim services, prevention and community education. The ICAC Program was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the internet, the proliferation of child pornography, and the heightened online activity by predators searching for unsupervised contact with underage victims. By helping state and local law enforcement agencies develop effective and sustainable responses to online child victimization and child pornography, the ICAC program delivers national resources at the local level.  Arrests made by the Georgia ICAC Task Force have been steadily increasing over the last 3 years.  In 2014, the GA ICAC Task Force made 196 arrests.  The Georgia ICAC Task Force made 244 arrests in 2015, and in 2016, the Georgia ICAC Task Force made 340 arrests. In 2017, The Georgia ICAC Task Force made 350 arrests.  The Georgia ICAC Task Force has made over 2,000 arrests since its inception in 2002. 

The following press release has been issued by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.  All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

Murphy, NC— Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced the October 30th, 2018 arrest of Harry James Verner, a 18-year-old Murphy, North Carolina man for charges stemming from the sexual assault of a minor.

On or about October 15th, 2018 the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office was notified that a young child had been sexually assault on or about October 13th, 2018 at a residence in the Hiwassee Dam Community of Cherokee County, North Carolina. Pursuant to that information an investigation was conducted in which Verner was identified as the suspect which lead to his October 30th, 2018 arrest. 

Harry James Verner is currently being held in the Cherokee County Detention Center for First Degree Statutory Sexual Offense with a Child and Taking Indecent Liberties with a Child. Verner’s secure bond is currently $200,000.00. Verner currently has November 08th, 2018 District Court date.

Sheriff Derrick Palmer stated, “We thank the Cherokee County Schools and the District Attorney’s Office for their cooperation and assistance in this investigation. These are difficult cases for all concerned. Because of the age of the victim and the nature of the crime there will be no further press releases from this office.”

To report suspicious activity and suspect violations of the law please call 828-837-1344 or submit a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov. 

The following press release has been issued by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.  All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

Murphy, NC— Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced the October 13th, 2018 arrest of a Joshua Warren Boyle, a 34 year old Orlando Florida man for being in possession of a stolen motor vehicle and for felony eluding.

At about 1 am on the 13th, of October 2018 Deputies with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office noticed a motorcycle with two riders at the intersection of 141 and US 74. The motorcycle operator, later identified at Joshua Warren Boyle, set through light changes apparently not able to turn left because the traffic light would not indicate a left turn. When one of the deputies approached in an effort to allow for Boyle to proceed with is turn, Boyle and the passenger sped off at a high rate of speed. The Deputy commenced a chase on US 74. At one point the passenger of the motorcycle was able to get off when the driver slowed to make a u turn. The chase lasted over 40 minutes with Boyle going into opposing lanes on several occasions on both two lane and four lane roads as well as exceeding over 115 mph. The chase ended when Boyle turned down a dead end road and lost control and hit a tree. There was minor damage to the motorcycle which later was discovered to be stolen out of Florida. Boyle, who fled a short distance on foot, was not injured. 

Joshua Warren Boyle was arrested and taken to the Cherokee County Detention Center where he was incarcerated for POSSESS STOLEN AUTOMOBILE, FLEE/ELUDE ARREST WITH A MOTOR VEHICLE, RECKLESS DRIVING - WANTON DISREGARD, FICT/ALT TITLE/REG CARD/TAG, INJURY TO PERSONAL PROPERTY, DRIVE LEFT OF CENTER, RESISTING PUBLIC OFFICER, NO OPERATERS LICENSE, FAIL YLD STOP SIGN. Boyle is currently under a $30,000.00 secure bond and has a October 25th, 2018 District Court date.

Sheriff Derrick Palmer stated “This started out as a good Samaritan act by the Deputy and ended in the recovery of a stolen vehicle and several traffic charges. Good work by the deputies and we appreciate the assistance from Murphy Police Department as well. It is fortunate this took place when the traffic was nonexistent at the time which allowed the officers to bring this to a good conclusion.”

To report suspicious activity and suspect violations of the law please call 828-837-1344 or submit a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov. ​

The following press release has been issued by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.  All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

Murphy, NC— Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced the September 24th, 2018 arrest of a Timothy Jeffrey Mccoy, a 38 year old Andrews, North Carolina man on several counts involving the theft and possession of stolen motor vehicles.

Detectives with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division conducted an investigation into several motor vehicle thefts in Cherokee County. During the course of the investigation Timothy Mccoy, who was out on bond for several previous motor vehicle thefts, became suspect. Several locations were searched by detectives and presently five motor vehicles have been recovered. The investigation is ongoing and several additional suspects are being identified.

Timothy Jeffrey Mccoy was arrested for:
POSSESS STOLEN AUTOMOBILE, LARCENY OF MOTOR VEHICLE, LARCENY OF MOTOR VEHICLE, BREAKING AND OR ENTERING, LARCENY AFTER BREAK/ENTER, BREAKING AND OR ENTERING, LARCENY AFTER BREAK/ENTER, POSSESSION OF STOLEN GOODS, POSS RCV STOLEN PROP CERT FEL, POSSESS MARIJUANA PARAPHERNALIA, SIMPLE POSSESS SCH VI CS, INJURY TO PERSONAL PROPERTY, FIRST DEGREE TRESPASS, INJURY TO PERSONAL PROPERTY, FIRST DEGREE TRESPASS, LARCENY OF MOTOR VEHICLE, BREAKING AND OR ENTERING, LARCENY AFTER BREAK/ENTER, POSSESS STOLEN AUTOMOBILE.

Mccoy is currently incarcerated in the Cherokee County Detention Center under a $52,000.00 secure bond and is expected to be in Cherokee County District Court October 11th, 2018.

Sheriff Derrick Palmer stated, “Good work by the Detectives and Patrol Deputies on these cases. This is a major theft ring that we are making a dent in. We anticipate several additional arrests in these and other cases from the hard work we have done so far. ”

To report suspicious activity and suspect violations of the law please call 828-837-1344 or submit a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov.