Former Granville sheriff's deputy pleads guilty in obstruction case, avoids extra jail time
THE BOJANGLES. IT.
>> NEW INFORMATION IN AN
ONGOING WRAL INVESTIGATION INTO
THE GRANVILLE COUNTY SHERIFF'S
OFFICE. A DEPUTY IN THE DRUG
UNIT WHO WAS ALSO ACCUSED OF
FALSIFYING RECORDS, PLEADED
GUILTY TODAY TO 2 CHARGES AND
WILL AVOID EXTRA JAIL TIME.
WE ALSO SEE DONOVAN HAS NEW
INFORMATION ON THE CASE
SPANNING MORE THAN 8 YEARS.
>> FORMER GRANVILLE COUNTY
SERGEANT CHAD COFFEE WIN IN
FRONT OF A JUDGE HERE IN WHITE
COUNTY THIS WEEK. THIS TIME
TO PLEAD GUILTY TO OBSTRUCTION
OF JUSTICE CHARGE FROM 2016.
THIS IS A CASE THAT MADE ITS
WAY ALL THE WAY UP TO THE COURT
OF APPEALS IN FEBRUARY, A
RULING BY THE NORTH CAROLINA
COURT OF APPEALS FOUND THAT A
FORMER GRANVILLE COUNTY
DEPUTIES ACTION TO FALSIFY
RECORDS OR WRONG. BUT IT DIDN'T
AMOUNT TO OBSTRUCTION OF
JUSTICE. CHAD COFFEE WAS
CONVICTED OF 12 COUNTS OF
OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE IN 2022.
>> HE SPENT 5 MONTHS IN PRISON
ON TUESDAY AS PART OF A NEW
PLEA COFFEE PERMANENTLY
SURRENDERED HIS LAW ENFORCEMENT
CERTIFICATION AND HIS
INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION
DISTRICT ATTORNEY LORRIN
FREEMAN SAYS COFFEE ALSO
PLEADED GUILTY TO ONE DRUG
RELATED OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
CHARGE OUT OF GREENVILLE
COUNTY. HE WAS PART OF A DRUG
UNIT THAT CAME UNDER FIRE FOR
SHADY DRUG BUSTS AND POOR
RECORD KEEPING THE DA WAS
FORCED TO DROP HUNDREDS OF DRUG
CHARGES BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS
IN THAT UNIT. ALSO IN FEBRUARY
OF 2022. THEN SHERIFF BRENDA
WILKINS TESTIFIED AT COFFEES
TRIAL THAT HE ORDERED COFFEE TO
FALSIFY RECORDS AND THAT COFFEE
SHOULD NOT BE HELD CRIMINALLY
RESPONSIBLE WILKENS ADMITTED
HE ASKED COFFEE TO SIGN OFF
ON DOCUMENTS THAT SHOWED
WILKINS AND A CHIEF DEPUTY WITH
10 MANDATED FIREARMS TRAINING,
ALTHOUGH NEITHER HAD ATTENDED
COFFEE, ADMITTED HE SIGNED OFF
ON THE FORMS THAT WILKINS
INSTRUCTION BUT SAID HE DIDN'T
THINK IT WAS A CRIME. COFFEE
WAS SENTENCED TO 45 DAYS IN
JAIL BUT WAS GIVEN CREDIT FOR