 ,The following press release has been issued by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Murphy, NC— Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced the May 2nd, 2019 arrest of 44-year-old Owen Gregory Dean who provided a Murphy, North Carolina address for possessing a Weapon of Mass Destruction. In a continuing investigation, information was provided to Investigators of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office that Dean was in possession of blasting caps at his residence in the Ranger Community of Cherokee County, North Carolina. Further information was that Dean was currently on probation in the state of North Carolina. Investigators teamed with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), North Carolina Department of Public Safety Adult Corrections, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and made a search of Dean’s residence. During the search, a blasting cap was recovered which was secured and transported from the home by SBI Bomb Technicians. Dean was arrested and taken to the Cherokee County Detention Center where he was placed under a $15,000.00 secure bond. Dean is currently detained in the Cherokee County Detention Center and is expected to be in District Court on May 9th, 2019. Sheriff Derrick Palmer stated, “Again this had a huge potential for disaster. Explosives must always be properly handled and stored. We appreciate all the assistance of the SBI, ATF and DPS in helping us to bring this to a safe conclusion. We continue in this investigation and ask that anyone with information contact Detective JJ Wooten or Detective Tory Shivers at 828- 837-2589 or utilize the tip line.” 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. Comments are closed.
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