On Tuesday, January 31st, Morganton Public Safety Officers arrested Kyle Blackburn Brown, 36, and Chelsie Leanne Laws, 29, both from Morganton. They were charged with felony possession with intent to manufacture, sell, and deliver schedule II controlled substances, as well as misdemeanor larceny by trick. Brown was additionally charged with felony larceny by destroying an antitheft device. The incident began when a Public Safety Officer was dispatched to a business on Morganton Heights Boulevard in response to a shoplifting report. Upon locating the suspect vehicle, the officer initiated a traffic stop. During the stop, Brown and Laws reportedly admitted to stealing clothing from the shop. The officer then noticed drug paraphernalia in plain view, leading to a search of the vehicle. The search resulted in the discovery of items including methamphetamine and clear plastic baggies, with a reported seizure of four grams of meth. Both suspects were taken to the Burke County Jail, Brown under $11,000 secured bond, Laws under $10,500 secured bond. While Brown is no longer listed as an inmate, Laws remains in jail, and both suspects have District Court dates scheduled for Thursday, February 2nd.
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