Drug suspect calls sheriff; dodges charges

Iredell County Sheriff Phil Redmond is widely known for his "war on drugs," thanks in large part to his officers’ impressive drug-busts on Iredell’s two interstates. 

But how about Redmond’s “war on drugs” in our backyards?

Five years after Redmond was first elected – and the same year his deputies seized $6 million in drugs, according to the sheriff’s webpage – the sheriff's office did not file charges against a man who two deputies arrested for manufacturing marijuana in a Statesville backyard.

The sheriff may have had something to do with that, according to the reporting officer’s narrative in the 1999 police report.

According to the report, the two officers received information about marijuana plants growing in a garden owned by Christopher Davidson. Upon arriving on the scene, Davidson gave the officers consent to search his property. During the search, the officers located seven marijuana plants growing in pots in Davidson’s garden.

According to the report, when the officers called Davidson back to the yard and asked him about the plants, "Davidson stated he had already called Sheriff Redmond at the office and that we could not charge him with the plants."

When the officers explained to Davidson that he could, in fact, be charged, Davidson responded: "Fuck it, it wouldn't stick." To read the full narrative from the police report, click on the document below.

Then nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. No court records, nor any other documentation, showing that Davidson was ever charged for manufacturing marijuana. A cursory review of Davidson's court records, in fact, turns up only simple traffic violations.

So did Sheriff Redmond himself truly talk to Davidson on the phone that day? Did Sheriff Redmond himself truly embolden Davidson to tell his deputies not to charge him for manufacturing marijuana? That's anybody's guess. Redmond didn't respond to Report questions this week asking if he recalled the conversation alleged by Davidson and referenced in his officer's police report. We also left a message for Davidson, but he did not immediately call back. As soon as we receive comments from him, we’ll post them.

We asked Sheriff Redmond if he, in fact, assured Davidson that charges could not or would not be filed against him or that charges wouldn’t stick if they were filed. Redmond did not respond.

We asked the sheriff to confirm that Davidson, in fact, was never charged. We asked him if “manufacturing of marijuana” is a felony charge and if the State of North Carolina has a statute of limitation on felonies (i.e. can Davidson still be charged today for something that happened in 1999?).

We also asked Redmond if he ever instructed, requested, encouraged or in any other way indicated to his officer(s) that they not file charges against Davidson – and, if so, why. We also asked Sheriff Redmond if he is personal friends with Davidson and in what capacity he knows him.

But Redmond did not respond.

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The sheriff’s office vice/narcotics unit reported $14.6 million in seized drugs and $276,000 in seized cash in 2009 alone. Working with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, the vice/narcotics unit “utilizes undercover operations to identify and arrest individuals that are involved in prostitution, illegal gambling as well as the distribution of illegal drugs.”