A Morganton man will spend six to eight years in prison following a conviction in Burke County Superior Court on January 15, 2019, for trafficking methamphetamine.
Andrew Thomas Watts, 40, was given the active prison term by the Honorable Robert C. Ervin, Superior Court Judge from Burke County, following his guilty plea. The defendant will serve the sentence in custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections and also must pay a mandatory fine of $50,000.
Officers with Morganton Department of Public Safety stopped a vehicle for displaying a fictitious tag on November 7, 2017, after previously being notified by the Burke County Narcotics Task Force that the defendant had just received a large quantity of methamphetamine.
As they approached the vehicle, officers saw drug paraphernalia and conducted a search of the vehicle and its occupants, locating methamphetamine in Watts’ possession. The drugs were sent to the N.C. State Crime Lab for testing and verification that the substance found was methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Morganton Department of Public Safety with assistance from the Burke County Narcotics Task Force. Lance Sigmon prosecuted the case for the District Attorney’s Office.
CONTACT: Nathan Key
Phone: 828-695-6193
Email: Nathan.D.Key@nccourts.org