Date/Time of Offense: Thursday, January 13, 2022.
Offense(s)/Charge(s): Felony Death by Distribution (Fentanyl)
Three Counts of Felony Trafficking of an Opiate
Six Counts of Felony Possession with Intent to Sell and Deliver a Schedule I Controlled
Substance
Six Counts of Felony Sell and Deliver a Schedule I Controlled Substance
Location of Incident: Miller Farm Road, Statesville.
Suspect(s): Kenneth Ty Parent, 25 Years Old
173 Family Circle
Statesville, North Carolina 28677
Sheriff Darren Campbell stated: A local drug dealer has been charged by the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office with Felony Death by Distribution, based on his connection to a person found dead on January 13, 2022 here in Iredell County.
On Thursday, January 13, 2022, Road Patrol Deputies with the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office responded to a death investigation on Miller Farm Road west of Statesville.
When the deputies arrived they found the victim deceased in a bathroom. Drug paraphernalia was present in the home leading deputies to believe the death was related possibly related to narcotics use. Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigators, and Crime Scene Investigators were called to respond to the crime scene.
Detective John Adams of the Criminal Investigations Division was assigned to the death investigation. Detective Adams conducted interviews with the victim’s family, and other associates in order to determine who the victim was close to. Detective Adams learned just days before the victim’s death, he had overdosed on Fentanyl, and had been transported to a medical facility for treatment.
Detective Adams obtained Search Warrants for cellular telephone records, and social media accounts which belonged to the victim. Information received from those records revealed multiple conversations about drug transactions.
Detective Adams spoke with the Medical Examiner’s Office after the autopsy, and worked closely with them as the investigation continued. The cause of the victim’s death was determined to be an overdose of Fentanyl.
After receiving additional Search Warrant information, Detective Adams was able to establish Kenneth Ty Parent was the individual who sold the illegal narcotics which caused the victim’s death.
Detective Adams worked with the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Investigations Division sharing the information he had gathered during his investigation. Undercover Narcotics Operations began focusing specifically on Kenneth Ty Parent. Undercover Investigators were able to make multiple undercover purchases of illegal drugs directly from Kenneth Ty Parent.
Based on all of the evidence gathered through this investigation, felony arrest warrants were obtained against Parent. On Friday, February 18, 2022, Parent was arrested by deputies with the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office. He was taken to the Iredell County Detention Center where he was served with the following warrants: Felony Death by Distribution, Three Counts of Felony Trafficking of an Opiate, Six Counts of Felony Possession with Intent to Sell and Deliver a Schedule I Controlled Substance, Six Counts of Felony Sell and Deliver Schedule an I Controlled Substance. Parent appeared before Magistrate D. Chambers who issued a 650.000.00 dollar secured bond on these charges.
Sheriff Campbell added, “Arrests from investigations like this are yet another tool we will utilize, when the evidence supports it, to go after drug dealers on our community. Dealers need to be put on notice, we will target you with information we receive from the community, by conducting undercover surveillance operations, performing undercover purchases, sharing information with other law enforcement agencies, carrying out suspect round-ups, and conducting investigations like this”.
Kenneth Ty Parent, 25 Years Old
173 Family Circle
Statesville, North Carolina 28677
BOND: 650,000.00 DOLLARS SECURED BOND.