On May 10, 2021, members of the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office Street Crimes Unit and Special Operations Unit conducted a traffic stop on a 1994 Ford Explorer at 3539 S NC 87 Hwy. in Graham, NC. The occupants of the vehicle were identified as John Ferguson and Elizabeth Moody. The Street Crimes and Special Operations Unit were familiar with Mr. Ferguson and had received information that he was involved in the sale of methamphetamine. Both occupants gave consent to officers to search their vehicle.
During the search, methamphetamine residue, which tested positive in a presumptive field test, was found in a metal canister on a keychain. The vehicle also contained two packages postmarked from Great Britain addressed to Thompson Mill Road in Graham, NC, and two packages that were sealed in USPS bags.
Due to the residue of methamphetamine, a K-9 sniff of the packages was requested. The K-9 conducted a free air sniff of each package and gave a positive indication for the odor of narcotics. Two packages contained push packs of Etizolam pills, which is a Schedule I controlled substance included in the NC Controlled Substances Act. The two USPS packages contained 270 dosage units of Xanax, which is a Schedule IV controlled substance included in the NC Controlled Substances Act.
Mr. Ferguson and Ms. Moody both indicated that they receive packages from another country, repackage the pills, and then ship them throughout the United States. From the interviews, it was also determined that there was another package containing pills in a postal box at the UPS store on S. Church Street in Burlington. That package was seized, placed into evidence, and a search warrant issued. It contained 2500 dosage units of Etizolam.
Ms. Moody was then charged with PWISD Schedule I Controlled Substance, PWISD Schedule IV Controlled Substance, Possession of Methamphetamine, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She was placed in the Alamance County Detention Center under a $50,000.00 secured bond. Later, arrest warrants were also issued for Mr. Ferguson.
During the course of the investigation, storage units were discovered that contained large quantities of empty pill bottles, USPS packing boxes, and additional controlled substances. The following were found:
- 1,880 dosage units of Xanax (Schedule IV Controlled Substance)
- 11,964 dosage units of Alprazolam (Schedule IV Controlled Substance)
- 8,120 dosage units of Etizolam (Schedule I Controlled Substance)
- 3,556 dosage units of Carisoprodol (Schedule IV Controlled Substance)
- 37 dosage units of Zolpidem (Schedule IV Controlled Substance)
- 30 dosage units of Temazepam (Schedule IV Controlled Substance)
- 70 dosage units of Pregabalin (Schedule V Controlled Substance)
- 9 dosage units of Diazepam (Schedule IV Controlled Substance)
- 5,120 dosage units of Tapentadol (Schedule II Controlled Substance)
- 1 dosage unit of Suboxone (Schedule III Controlled Substance)
- 4,610 dosage units of unknown pills
- 304.01 grams of unknown powder substances
On May 12, 2021, Elizabeth Moody and John Ferguson were both charged with the following:
1 Ct – Trafficking in Opioids
1 Ct – PWISD Schedule I Controlled Substance
1 Ct – PWISD Schedule II Controlled Substance
6 Cts – PWISD Schedule IV Controlled Substance
1 Ct – PWISD Schedule V Controlled Substance
1 Ct – Possess Schedule III Controlled Substance
1 Ct – Maintain a Veh/Dwell/Place for CS
Due to the continued delivery of prescription medications, on May 27, 2021, Elizabeth Moody and John Ferguson were both charged with the following:
10 cts. of PWISD Schedule IV controlled substance
As a result of this investigation, the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office seized a total of 72,490 dosage units and 304.01 grams of unknown powder substance.
If anyone has any information concerning the distribution of controlled substances within Alamance County, please contact the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office at 336-570-6300 and request to speak with a narcotics investigator.
Elizabeth Moody
249 Auto Park Drive, Apt. 121, Graham
W/F/38
John Edward Ferguson
249 Auto Park Drive, Apt.121, Graham
W/M/28
