Arrested Buncombe deputy part of potential human trafficking ring, says Asheville police
ASHEVILLE – Four people, including a Buncombe County Sheriff's Office deputy, were arrested June 22 in relation to a criminal enterprise investigation that included a potential human trafficking ring, according to an Asheville police news release June 23.
“Asheville Police Department officers and detectives assisted the Cherokee Indian Police Department to arrest someone wanted that was in the Asheville area on Thursday afternoon,” spokesperson Samantha Booth said in the news statement.
“This led the group to evidence that a broader criminal enterprise was afoot to include a potential human trafficking ring. APD then rallied assistance from state and federal partners and continued investigating.”
Several juveniles were apprehended carrying firearms, and among the items seized were four different types of pistols, 9.97 grams of fentanyl, 13.42 grams of meth and 13.19 grams of crack cocaine. The juveniles were released to their parents and the Department of Juvenile Justice was contacted, according to APD’s news release.
Deputy Chad Walker of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, who was arrested June 22 on charges of soliciting a prostitute and fired from the sheriff’s office shortly after, is "ensnared" in the operation, according to APD’s news release. Walker was booked into the Buncombe County Detention Facility on June 22 and released under a written promise issued by the magistrate.
The Citizen Times has reached out to Walker.
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Also arrested were Paul Anthony Valdez Jr., Milo Jamemall Henderson, and Kaley Brooke Locust, who were booked into the Buncombe County Detention Facility June 22, according to APD's news release.
Valdez, 34, is charged with possession of a stolen firearm, carrying a concealed gun, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a weapon of mass destruction, extradition fugitive from other state, and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle. Valdez has court dates on July 3 and July 14, and is being held under a secured bond of $32,500.
Henderson, 39, is charged with trafficking opium or heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia, plus three separate charges of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to manufacture, sell or deliver for schedule III controlled substance, cocaine and methamphetamine. Henderson is being held under a secured bond of $75,000.
Locust, 23, is charged with felony possession of a schedule III controlled substance, felony probation violation and possession of a controlled substance on jail premises. Locust is not currently listed as an inmate on Buncombe County's jail website.
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Neither Henderson nor Locust have a court date scheduled as of June 23, according to an online courts calendar.
This investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming, police said.
If anyone has information about the incident or about human trafficking, contact the Asheville Police Department, anonymously by texting TIP2APD to 847411 or using the TIP2APD smartphone app. Or call 828-252-1110.
This story will be updated.
Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at ROber@citizentimes.com. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Potential human trafficking ring found, Buncombe deputy ensnared
