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Polk arrests Sunny View man Thursday

SUNNY VIEW—A Sunny View man was arrested on Thursday after the Polk County Sheriff’s Office found methamphetamine, pills, marijuana and guns.

James Richard Helton, of 225 Helton Lane, Mill Spring, was arrested and charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine; possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana; possession with intent to sell and deliver a schedule IV controlled substance; maintaining a dwelling for the sale of controlled substances and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to sheriff reports.

Investigators from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Division executed a search warrant at Helton’s home on Thursday after receiving numerous complaints regarding illegal drug sales at the home.

Officers discovered and seized approximately 68 grams of methamphetamine; pills; marijuana; various drug paraphernalia and 21 firearms.

Officers said this is the second search warrant they executed at Helton’s residence related to drug sales in the past year.

Helton is already facing charges of possession with intent to sell and deliver schedule I controlled substance; 3 counts of possession with intent to sell and deliver schedule II controlled substance; 2 counts of simple possession of schedule IV controlled substance; possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia; maintaining a dwelling for the sale of controlled substances and felony possession of a stolen firearm, according to sheriff reports. Helton is still awaiting an appearance in Polk County Superior Court on the previous charges.

Helton’s previous bond was $100,000 with him getting a $30,000 bond on Thursday.

“I’m proud of my special operations team and honored every time I get to go out with them to shut down drug peddlers like this,” Polk County Sheriff Tim Wright said following the bust. “Our court system may be slowed down right now due to COVID-19, but you better believe that if you continue to push meth and pills in the county we won’t stop investigating and making sure you are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

The North Carolina court system has been shut down for a couple of months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but district and superior court is scheduled to re-open on Monday.