CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. — Narcotics investigators arrested a Mooresboro man August 21st following an extensive investigation into drug possession in Cleveland County. The arrest of Joshua Curtis Hawkins, 33, took place in the parking lot of the Days Inn Hotel at 1431 West Dixon Blvd. in Shelby. At the time of arrest, police found nearly an ounce of China White heroin, as well as nearly an ounce of methamphetamine, in Hawkins’ possession.
Hawkins has been charged with trafficking opium or heroin, possession with intent to sell or deliver methamphetamine, selling or delivering methamphetamine and two counts of probation violation, according to the Cleveland County Sheriff’s department. He is currently being detained at the Cleveland County Detention Center under a $250,000 bond.
Police report that the street value of China White heroin — an “exponentially more potent version” of heroin, according to Sheriff Alan Norman — as approximately $4,812, while methamphetamine goes for about $2,790. Additionally, investigators confiscated $1,041 in cash and Hawkins’ motorcycle at the scene.
“Methamphetamine is the major drug of abuse in Cleveland County, and has been for some time. Our investigators have been extremely successful in disrupting the distribution of methamphetamine in Cleveland County, as evidenced by the hundreds of arrests of dealers over the past two years in particular,” said Cleveland County Sheriff Alan Norman.
“When menaces like Joshua Hawkins try to introduce such an awful drug into our county, we are going to stop them, wherever we find them. We will continue to relentlessly take the fight to these drug dealers,” Norman continued.
