According to a press release issued by the U.S. Department of Justice, Phillip Strickland, 41, was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 27, 2007, and pleaded guilty on Nov. 13, 2007, to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of crack cocaine.
The Nash County Sheriff's office narcotics unit received a tip on Feb. 8, 2006 that Strickland would be transporting crack cocaine in a Ford Expedition along with the location of the vehicle. A subsequent stop and search of the vehicle turned up a bag containing crack cocaine located in Strickland's possession. A female passenger, who was at the time employed as a jailer in Nash County, was searched and several bags of crack cocaine and powder cocaine were found stuffed in her pants. The female passenger pleaded guilty in state court to drug charges.
The federal press release did not identify her.
The Nash County Sheriff's Office investigation revealed that Strickland had sold more than 127 grams of cocaine between October 2005 and March 2007.
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