A Morganton pair face various drug charges. A 'suspicious activity" call to Stonebridge Drive led Morganton Public Safety officers to arrest two people on drug possession and trafficking charges. 41-year-old Davy Leonard Goodman and 32-year-old Melissa May Harris were reportedly arrested and each charged with 1 felony count of trafficking drugs by possession and 1 misdemeanor count of possession of a schedule II substance. According to reports, officers discovered more than 67 grams of amphetamines and methamphetamines plus prescription pain killers. Reports state over $700 in cash was also confiscated by officers. Goodman and Harris were each placed under separate secured bonds of $130,000 and transported to the Burke Catawba Confinement facility.

A Morganton man was given a prison sentence of at least 18 years after pleading guilty to statutory rape of a 13 year old, statutory sex offense with the 13 year old and soliciting a child by computer for a sex act on Friday, during Burke County Superior Court. 28-year-old Joshua Michael Abernathy was given an active prison term of 18 to 27 years by the Honorable Daniel A. Kuehnert, Superior Court Judge from Burke County. Detective Isaac Propst investigated both cases for the Burke County Sheriff's Office, and Frank Webster prosecuted them for the 25th District Attorney's Office.

A 37-year-old Glen Alpine man will spend at least 15 years in prison for statutory rape of a person 13, 14, or 15 years old and indecent liberties with a child. Timothy Jerome Deyton pleaded guilty to charges during Burke County Superior Court on Tuesday August 30th. He was sentenced to 15-23 years. Deyton is required to register as a sex offender for 30 years with 10 years of satellite-based monitoring.

A Catawba County jury Friday, found a Hickory man guilty of a sexual assault and strangulation of a female victim. The jury determined that Phillip Voltz IV was guilty of second-degree sexual offense, assault by strangulation and misdemeanor assault inflicting serious injury from a May 2015 incident, and guilty of felony breaking and entering and intimidating a witness from a January 2016 offense, in Catawba County Superior Court. The Honorable Gregory R. Hayes, Superior Court Judge from Catawba County, sentenced Voltz to a prison term of 6-12 years. Thad Scronce led the investigation for the Catawba County Sheriff's Office. Jamie Adams handled prosecution for the 25th District Attorney's Office.