IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — Wednesday, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office announced three major drug busts that happened within the county -- two involving Mooresville residents, and one involving two people from Pittsburgh that were stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate 77.
The first arrest happened on Thursday, Dec. 10.
Deputies with the ICSO's Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Team and members of NC Probation and Parole responded to a home on Old Wilkesboro Road for reports that 44-year-old Jeremy Thanavastien, on parole for felony possession with intent to sell or deliver heroin, was there selling Heroin.
When deputies got to the home, they found Thanavastien conducting a drug deal with 30-year-old Jordan Elliott -- Elliott purchased Heroin from Thanavastien.
Officers searched the home and found over 10 grams of Heroin in several individual baggies, dosage units of Methadone, and drug paraphernalia that deputies said were "consistent with the sale of illegal narcotics."
Both were arrested on scene and taken to the Iredell County Detention Center.
Thanavastien was charged with the following under a $150,000 secured bond:
- Felony Trafficking Heroin
- Felony Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver Schedule I Controlled Substance (Heroin)
- Felony Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver Schedule II Controlled Substance (Methadone)
- Felony Maintain a Dwelling or Vehicle for the Sale or Use of a Controlled Substance
- Misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Elliott was charged with Felony Possession of Heroin and Misdemeanor Possession of Drug of Paraphernalia under a $3,000 secured bond.
Then on Friday, Dec. 11, deputies with the ICSO Interstate Criminal Enforcement (ICE) Team arrested a Pittsburgh couple, charged with trafficking Heroin.
Deputies conducted a traffic stop on a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu with a New York registration plate on Interstate 77 Southbound for a traffic violation.
Deputies identified the two in the car as 22-year-old driver Breanna Delany and 37-year-old passenger Whitney Fennell, both from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
ICSO says after deputies spoke with Delany, they had developed probable cause to search the vehicle. During the search, deputies found 162.9 grams of Heroin, 5.5 Grams of (Crack) Cocaine, 18.1 Grams of Marijuana, and $1,125 in cash.
The two were arrested and taken to the Iredell County Detention Center. Each has been charged with the following:
- Felony Trafficking Heroin by Possession
- Felony Trafficking Heroin by Transportation
- Felony Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver Schedule I Controlled Substance (Heroin)
- Felony Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver Schedule II Controlled Substance (Cocaine)
- Felony Maintaining a Dwelling or Vehicle for Sale or Use of a Controlled Substance
- Misdemeanor Possession of Marijuana.
Delany received a $500,000 secured bond on her charges, and Fennell received a $600,000 secured bond on his charges.
Lastly, on Tuesday, Dec. 15, detectives with the ICSO Narcotics Unit executed a narcotics search warrant at 151 Capital Avenue in Mooresville.
The arrest marked the end of a two-month-long investigation into Heroin distribution in the southern end of Iredell County.
It started in October when Narcotics Investigators received information that 28-year-old Joseph Klein was receiving Heroin from the Charlotte area and had been involved in the distribution of controlled substances in Iredell County.
Investigators set up a surveillance operation and were able to verify the information in the tip, and eventually were able to purchase Heroin directly from Klein.
When investigators served the search warrant, Klein was in possession of Heroin in his residence. According to the sheriff's office, he was arrested at the scene and taken to the county detention center, and served with the following arrest warrants under a $450,000 secured bond:
- Seven Counts of Felony Sell or Deliver Heroin
- Seven counts of Felony Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver Heroin
- Six Counts of Felony Maintaining a Dwelling for the Distribution or Sale of a Controlled Substance
- Five Counts of Selling a Controlled Substance Within 1000 Feet of a School
- Felony Trafficking Heroin by Possession
- Felony Trafficking Heroin by Sale
- Felony Sell or Deliver Schedule III Controlled Substance
- Felony Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver Schedule III Controlled Substance
- Misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
