Woman sentenced in Jackson County on multiple drug charges

by Jul 7, 2021NEWS ka-no-he-da

 

District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said Kristen Lee Devecki pleaded guilty last week in Jackson County Superior Court to multiple drug-related charges, as well as failure to return a rented vehicle.
For the purpose of sentencing, Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Bradley B. Letts consolidated three judgements, ordering the 37-year-old woman to serve an active prison time of at least 16 months and up to 38 months.

Devecki has provided to authorities various addresses in Murphy, Sylva, Dillsboro, Cherokee and, most recently, in Whittier.

Devecki admitted to:
• One count possession of methamphetamine.
• Two counts possession of a controlled substance on jail premises.
• One count possess with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver methamphetamine.
• One count felony failure to return rental property.

On Jan. 28, an off-duty officer contacted Sylva Police Department to let officers know Devecki – wanted on outstanding warrants for her arrest – was at a Sylva grocery store.

When officers arrived, Devecki was leaving the parking lot in a car with three other women.

An officer’s dog trained to detect illegal drugs alerted on the vehicle. In the ensuing search, the officers found drug paraphernalia and narcotics. At Jackson County Detention Center, a detention officer discovered drugs in Devecki’s possession.

She was arrested similarly about four months later, on June 1. Cherokee Indian Police Department officers discovered Devecki — again with outstanding warrants — in a grocery store parking lot, this time on foot. They found heroin and drug paraphernalia.

The previous year, on Aug. 16, 2020, and Oct. 8, 2020, Devecki had faced similar charges of possession of illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia, as well as possession of a controlled substance on jail premises.
Additionally, she was charged Aug. 7, 2020, with failure to return a GMC U-Haul truck to a wrecker service.

Assistant District Attorney Chris Matheson prosecuted the case. The investigations involved Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Sylva Police Department and Cherokee Police Department.

– Release from the Office of District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch