Drug trafficking suspect arrested with child in car

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A Pender County man faces drug trafficking and child abuse charges after a nearly year-long investigation ended this week.

The Pender County Sheriff’s Office says vice and narcotics detectives arrested Vaughn Develle Pearsall, 46, of Willard, Wednesday. They say the investigation that led to the arrest started in April 2016.

Officers say they stopped Pearsall as he drove on US 117 North in Pender County. They say there was a child who is not related to Pearsall in the car when they stopped him and seized drugs.

Pearsall is charged with trafficking in cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, felony possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, conspiracy to sell and or deliver cocaine and misdemeanor child abuse. He is in the Pender County Jail without bond.

The NC Department of Public Safety’s website shows Pearsall’s criminal record dates back to 1998. It includes convictions for drug trafficking, DWI, larceny, assault on a female, forgery and assault on an officer. He has served 3.5 years in prison, and most recently was released in January 2016.