Felon pleads guilty to drug charges, despite fmr. deputy’s involvement

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A habitual felon pleads guilty in connection to a drug investigation handled by a former deputy found guilty of several crimes himself.

In a court hearing this morning, Charles Caulder’s attorney Walt Smith requested the judge to do an internal review of the investigation, because of the involvement of former New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Joey LeBlanc. In October, LeBlanc pleaded guilty to dozens of crimes including obtaining controlled substances and destroying evidence.

After the judge reviewed the file, Caulder ended up pleading guilty to his charges and nothing was questioned about LeBlanc’s involvement in the investigation.

Caulder was sentenced to six to nine years in jail.

“Habitual felons and heroin dealers remain a top focus for my office and the men and women of the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office,” District Attorney Ben David said in a news release. “The criminal conduct of former detective Joseph LeBlanc was completely irrelevant to these proceedings and did nothing to distract us from the ultimate mission of putting Mr. Caulder in prison for as long as possible. We are very pleased with today’s result.”

Caulder was one of eight defendants who had charges dropped by the DA in July 2013 because of LeBlanc’s involvement in those cases.