RUTHERFORD COUNTY, N.C. (FOX Carolina) – The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office reports arresting a man in connection with an overdose death in March.
Chad Ledbetter(Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office)
Deputies said they responded to Ozzie Drive in Bostic regarding a death investigation on Mar. 29. Investigators received an autopsy report on Sept. 29, where a fentanyl overdose was determined to be the cause of death.
Chad Ledbetter was arrested by the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, Spindale Police Department, and Road Patrol deputies on Friday on warrants for death by distribution and sell or deliver a controlled substance, according to deputies.
Ledbetter was given a $250,000 secured bond after his arrest.
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RUTHERFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — After receiving autopsy results from a death that reportedly happened in March and after consulting with the District Attorney’s Office, Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office detectives have charged a man with death by distribution.
According to a news release, Chad Ledbetter was identified as a suspect after a person was found deceased on March 29 at a residence on Ozzie Drive in Bostic. The autopsy report, which was received by investigators on Sept. 29, determined the cause of death to be fentanyl overdose.
After conducting interviews, reviewing evidence, and consulting with the District Attorney’s Office, investigators obtained warrants on Oct. 3 for death by distribution and sell or deliver a controlled substance, the release said.
On that same day, detectives with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, Spindale Police Department and Road Patrol Deputies arrested Ledbetter on Hamilton Street in Spindale.
RUTHERFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Rutherford County’s death by distribution convictions for the year have now jumped to five after the latest two convictions in August.
According to an Aug. 26 social media post by the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, Nathan Carpenter Beason pleaded guilty to two counts of death by distribution in Rutherford County Superior Court on Aug. 25. The sheriff’s office’s post reported that a week earlier on Aug. 18, Evelyn Robertson pleaded guilty to one count of death by distribution, and it was in connection with the same investigation.
Beason was sentenced to a minimum term of 11 years and maximum of 14 years in the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections. Robertson is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date, the post said.
According to court records, one of Beason’s charges originated from a March 2022 incident investigated by the sheriff’s office after deputies responded to a fatal overdose. Warrants were ultimately secured on Oct. 17, 2022.
Records show the second charge stemmed from a separate investigation initiated by the Rutherfordton Police Department in 2020. Warrants were secured on Beason by the police on Dec. 30, 2024.
Investigators from both agencies demonstrated dedication and persistence in thoroughly investigating these cases, ultimately leading to the charges filed against Beason.
“The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office extends its sincere appreciation to the Rutherfordton Police Department for their diligence and work in their case against Beason. The Sheriff’s Office would also like to thank the District Attorney’s Office for its commitment and hard work in prosecuting these complex cases,” the post said.
A man arrested during a drug bust earlier this week is now facing a murder charge for his alleged involvement in an overdose death.
On May 27, 2024, deputies with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a residence on Highland Avenue in reference to a possible cardiac arrest that appeared to be an overdose.
Upon arrival, deputies found the victim, Johnathon Pruitt, deceased inside the home.
During the investigation, authorities spotted 63-year-old Kenneth Ray Melton leaving the home on foot. Investigators spoke with Melton and he gave consent for investigators to search him. Law enforcement found multiple baggies of fentanyl on Melton.
Melton was arrested and charged with the following:
Possession with intent to manufacture sell and distribute a Schedule II controlled substance
