25-year-old Warren Lawrence Branch of Highway 70 in Hildebran was arrested Tuesday (March 21) by Burke County Sheriff’s Officers. He’s charged with felony counts of possession of schedule II controlled substance and failure to appear along with three misdemeanor counts of failure to appear and single misdemeanor counts of injury to personal property, assault on a female, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

On Tuesday, during a joint operation, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina Department of Corrections Probation & Parole and Special Operations and Intelligence Unit arrested Warren Lawrence Branch in a traffic stop. The arrest occurred on Curley’s Fish Camp Road in Hildebran.

Branch, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was listed as an absconder with Probation & Parole. Additionally, the Sheriff’s Office had identified Branch as a high priority target for service of his outstanding warrants. A search of the vehicle reportedly resulted in the discovery of approximately 1.21 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

The driver of the vehicle was a female suspect who was found to have an outstanding order for arrest related to an indictment issued in Caldwell County. Both individuals were arrested without incident. The female suspect was transported to Caldwell County. Branch was placed in the Burke County Jail under $39,999.01 secured bond. He remained in jail as of earlier today (March 24). A District Court appearance was scheduled Thursday (March 23).