A Lenoir man is charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer at a Burke County campsite last spring, and is sentenced this week to a jail term.

51-year-old Blaine Francis Pennington the second of 2540 Post Place pleaded guilty in NC District Court Monday and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.

A news release from the Burke County Sheriff’s Office says officers responded to a campsite on Brown Mountain Beach Road last May 25^th.

Deputies learned a man claiming to be an FBI agent had approached a group of children, and had left the area in a vehicle once confronted by the children’s father.

Reports say the children’s father had reported the incident to a US Forest Service official, who in turn relayed the vehicle description and tag information to the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office.

Officers then located the vehicle in their county occupied by Pennington.

He was arrested and transported back to Burke County where he was placed in custody.

Pennington’s jail term allows two days credit for time served.

Four people have been arrested by Burke authorities following an investigation into suspected drug activity.

According to a news release, detectives with the Burke Sheriff’s Office developed probable cause to search a residence at 932 Cape Hickory Road in eastern Burke County.

Assisted by the NC department of public safety’s K-9 team and state probation and parole officers, authorities discovered 56-year-old Jonathan Wayne Willis and 29-year-old Brittany Ann Willis to be in possession of and distributing methamphetamine.

The release says meth was located in multiple locations inside the home, as well as drug paraphernalia.

Both occupants were arrested on numerous charges.

Jonathan’s bond was issued at 50-thousand dollars secured; Brittany’s was 15-thousand dollars secured.

Both have a court date set for December 4^th.

During the course of the search, officers also arrested 34-year-old Cody Randolph Bryant of Hickory on an un-served warrant for meth trafficking in Catawba County.

23-year-old Revonda Nicole Mathis of Hickory was arrested after deputies located drug paraphernalia on her person. 

Bryant’s bond set at 10-thousand; while Mathis was issued a written promise to appear.

Both will appear in court January 13^th 2020.

A traffic stop in Lenoir Monday morning leads to drug and weapon charges for a Caldwell County couple.

A Lenoir Police news release says officers with the narcotics unit stopped a passenger car on Norwood Street.

The car’s driver was identified as 44-year-old Elijah Rashard Gibbs and the passenger as 21-year-old Madison Lily Ruggles both of 324 Southwest Hibriten Drive Lenoir.

The release states Gibbs had several outstanding warrants, prompting his arrest and vehicle search.

Officers discovered more than 154 grams of cocaine and 791-dollars in US currency.

Reports say the seized cocaine was valued at over 15-thousand-400 dollars.

A gun reported stolen from Catawba County was also seized during the search.

Ruggles was also arrested for a number of charges including simple possession after officers found marijuana in her clothing.

Gibbs and Ruggles now face numerous drug and weapon charges.

Gibbs’ bond was set at 206-thousand-500 dollars; Ruggles at 76-thousand dollars.

Both will appear in court Wednesday.