Former Buncombe County sheriff deputy pleads guilty to solicitation of prostitution
ASHEVILLE — A former Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office Deputy pleaded guilty to solicitation of prostitution in Buncombe County District Court Feb. 9 and is permanently barred from being a law enforcement officer in North Carolina, according to a Feb. 15 news release from District Attorney Todd Williams.
Deputy Chad Walker pleaded guilty in front of Judge Calvin Hill, who placed him on supervised probation for 12 months. Hill also ordered Walker to undergo a comprehensive clinical assessment, comply with all treatment recommendations, and pay a $100 fine along with the costs of court, the release said.
As a part of his conditional discharge agreement with prosecutors, Walker permanently surrendered his law enforcement certification "to ensure that he could not be employed by any other agency as a law enforcement officer," the release said.
A copy of Walker's surrender agreement, obtained by the Citizen Times, said, "...the officer agrees to permanently surrender his certification to the Sheriff's Commission and further agrees that he shall be permanently banned in the future from obtaining any and all forms of law enforcement certification in the State of North Carolina from either the Criminal Justice Commission or the Sheriff's Commission."
In exchange, the commissions agreed to "discontinue any investigation into the allegations of misconduct by the officer," the agreement said. Walker, the director of the Criminal Justice Standards Division and the director of the Sheriffs' Standards Division signed the agreement on Jan. 26.
Previous reporting: Asheville police quiet on human trafficking ring investigation that snared deputy
Walker may also be added to the National Decertification Index, which is maintained by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Training and Standards, per the agreement.
Under N.C. state statute, a conditional discharge such as Walker's allows defendants with little or no prior criminal history to plead guilty and be placed on probation "for the purpose of allowing the defendant to demonstrate (their) good conduct."
"If Walker complies with all conditions of probation and successfully completes probation his plea will be withdrawn and the charge will be dismissed," Williams said in the news release.
Walker was arrested on June 22, 2023, while APD officers were assisting Cherokee Indian Police Department officers in making an arrest at a hotel on the 100 block of Tunnel Road. While at the hotel, they observed what they said appeared to be human trafficking, including three different women at the hotel with multiple men coming in and out of rooms, the Citizen Times previously reported.
Deputy charged, fired: New court date for ex-cop charged with hiring prostitute; human trafficking investigation
The deputy was one of four named people arrested on June 22 in connection to a suspected human trafficking ring, as announced by the APD. Walker was subsequently charged by APD with the offense of Solicitation of Prostitution.
Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller terminated Walker’s employment with the sheriff’s office the same day he was arrested.
APD spokesperson Samantha Booth recently told the Citizen Times that the investigation into the suspected human trafficking ring is still ongoing.
One of the others arrested on June 22, Milo Jamemall Henderson, was further charged with human trafficking-related crimes on Feb. 5. A sixth person, De'Markria Marquell Miller, 32, was also arrested and charged Feb. 5 with human trafficking, sexual servitude, and promoting prostitution, Booth told the Citizen Times Feb. 7.
Update on others charged: 'Fugitive,' 1 other man arrested in Asheville human trafficking ring that ensnared deputy
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@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Ex-Buncombe County sheriff deputy pleads guilty to solicitation
