29-year-old Ryan Rudy Elledge of South D. Avenue in Maiden was arrested Friday (February 17) by Maiden Police Officers. He’s charged with felony counts of trafficking, opium or heroin, trafficking in methamphetamine, maintain a place for controlled substance, and manufacture, sell, deliver, or possess controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school. Elledge is also charged with misdemeanor counts of simple possession of schedule IV controlled substance and possession of marijuana up to one-half ounce.

On Friday, the Maiden Police Department, with assistance from the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, executed a search warrant at the residence of Ryan Rudy Elledge on South D Avenue. Officers reportedly seized 91.5 grams of fentanyl, 67.2 grams of meth, 18 dosage units of alprazolam, eight grams of marijuana and more than $21,000 in cash.

The charges are a result of an investigation initiated by Maiden Police with the assistance of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. According to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction Offender Public Information website, Elledge has a criminal history that includes multiple convictions dating back to 2012. The most recent conviction was in Lincoln County in May, 2020 for felony counts of larceny from a merchant and sell & deliver schedule III controlled substance.

Following Friday’s search at his home, Elledge was arrested by Maiden Police and brought to the Catawba County Detention Facility where he remained as of earlier today (February 21) under $350,000 secured bond. He had a first appearance in District Court Monday (February 20), the next District Court date is set for March 13.