Asheville police quiet on human trafficking ring investigation that snared deputy

ASHEVILLE - Police are remaining quiet about a human trafficking investigation that officers publicly announced in mid-June and said began when they happened upon a suspected criminal enterprise at a hotel less than 2 miles from downtown.

Among those arrested June 22 is a now-former sheriff's deputy facing a charge of soliciting a prostitute. APD spokesperson Samantha Booth did not return Aug. 2 messages asking about the status of the investigation. District Attorney Todd Williams declined to comment.

Two people arrested in the investigation, meanwhile, have left the local jail, according to recent records.

New court dates have been set for three of the four people arrested.

One of them, Kaley Brooke Locust, had charges that did not appear to be related to an incident in Buncombe County.

According to a June 23 news release and arrest records, APD officers were at a hotel on the 100 block of Tunnel Road on June 22 assisting the Cherokee Indian Police Department in an arrest.

Locust, 23, was charged with felony possession of a schedule III controlled substance, felony probation violation and possession of a controlled substance on jail premises. Jail records showed she was booked into the Buncombe County Detention Facility June 22. She was released the same day, according to sheriff's spokesperson Aaron Sarver, who referred questions about the conditions of her release to APD, which did not respond to messages, and DA Williams, who declined to comment.

The initial arrest operation "led the group to evidence that a broader criminal enterprise was afoot to include a potential human trafficking ring," the news release said. "APD then rallied assistance from state and federal partners and continued investigating," the release said.

Arrested along with Locust were Paul Anthony Valdez Jr., Milo Jamemall Henderson and Deputy Chad Walker.

Several juveniles were apprehended carrying firearms, the release said. They were released to their parents and the Department of Juvenile Justice was contacted.

Officers seized four different types of pistols, 9.97 grams of fentanyl, 13.42 grams of meth and 13.19 grams of crack cocaine.

Sheriff Quentin Miller announced that same day that Walker had been fired. Walker, 40, began with the Sheriff's Office in 2008, rising to the rank of sergeant before being demoted to patrol officer in 2021, according to personnel records obtained by the Citizen Times through a public records request. North Carolina personnel law forbids the release of some state worker employment information, including reasons for demotions.

Walker was released from jail on a written promise to appear in court. His next hearing is Aug. 10 in District Court on the misdemeanor solicitation charge. Walker could not be reached for comment. It is not clear if he has an attorney.

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. He was held in the jail under a $75,000 secured bond until being released July 28, according to Sarver, the sheriff's spokesperson. Asked if Henderson made bond, Sarver again referred questions to APD and the DA. His attorney, Ted Besen, declined to comment.

At a July 14 hearing, a judge declined to lower Henderson's bond, despite his previous attorney, public defender Courtney Booth, saying he had no "high-level charges" and that he is diabetic and has mental health issues. Booth also said the hotel room was not in his name.

Still in jail is Valdez, 35, 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 and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle. He was also charged with being a fugitive from another state. Valdez is being held under a secured bond of $32,500.

His attorney, Justin Sigmon, did not respond to an Aug. 2 message. At a July 14 hearing, a judge refused to lower the bond despite Sigmon saying the fugitive warrant had already been served.

Valdez told the judge he "knew nothing about the gun."

"I can’t be around guns. I have a special needs kid to take care of at home," he said.

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Staff writer Ryley Ober contributed to this report.

Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville police quiet on human trafficking probe that snared deputy