Traffic Stop Leads to Arrest and Seizure of Catalytic Converters in Statesville

by | Sep 9, 2025

On Wednesday, September 3, 2025, Deputy R. Ball of the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Aggressive Criminal Enforcement (ACE) Team conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Coty Sherrill Speight at 1541 Salisbury Highway in Statesville. Sergeant N. Hodges and his canine partner, Levi, assisted at the scene. Levi alerted deputies to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle, leading to the discovery of 25.5 alprazolam pills.

During the search, deputies also located 11 catalytic converters in the trunk. Speight stated he owned a recycling business in Rowan County and provided limited documentation. Deputy Ball photographed the converters, collected information, and forwarded it to the Criminal Investigation Division for further review.

Detective McNeely investigated the business details provided by Speight and determined the recycling permits for precious metals had expired. Both listed business addresses were found vacant. This information was sent back to Deputy Ball, contributing to the ongoing investigation.

On Thursday, September 4, 2025, Deputy Ball obtained a warrant charging Speight with 11 counts of felony possession of catalytic converters. On Friday, September 5, 2025, Speight was arrested by the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office after allegedly attempting to sell some of the converters. While in custody at the Davidson County Detention Center, he was served with the Iredell County warrants.

Sheriff Darren Campbell stated that the case demonstrated cooperation across divisions within the department and emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts in conducting timely investigations.