The US Department of Justice announced the arrest of 14 people from the Western NC area and 11 of the suspects are from Catawba County. All face charges connected to a methamphetamine trafficking ring. Authorities say the 14 people were involved in a drug conspiracy that trafficked and distributed methamphetamine in Catawba, Caldwell, Alexander and Lincoln counties. Authorities seized at least 23 firearms and more than $250,000.
The defendants charged are:
- Thomas Dewayne Simmons, Jr., 34, of Snellville, Georgia
- Ruth Marie Duggar, 36, of Claremont
- Kimberly Deann Bumgarner, 55, of Claremont
- Cynthia Roxanne Shook, 34, of Catawba
- Lowell Thomas Messer, 32, of Sherrills Ford
- Samantha Jean Taylor, 26, of Newton
- Jason Keith Reichard, 38, of Newton
- Aaron Douglas Goodson, 29, of Maiden (in custody on state charges)
- Priscilla Chapman Lambert, 33, of Hickory (in custody on state charges)
- Jonathan Corey Daniel, 31, currently incarcerated in the Georgia Department of Corrections
- Tiffany Christmas Hirani, 33, currently incarcerated at the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center in Jonesboro, Georgia
- James Kristoffer Cantley, 38, currently incarcerated at the Robert A. Detention Center in Lovejoy, Georgia
- Brian Duane Martz, 40, currently incarcerated in the Georgia Department of Corrections
- Michael James Notheisen, 34, currently incarcerated in the North Carolina Department of Corrections