A Matthews man is facing fresh charges after deputies claim he asked them to hold his rucksack at the Union County Courthouse, which was subsequently discovered to contain meth, drug paraphernalia, a machete, and a hatchet.
Deputies instructed Johnny Johnson, 30, of Matthews, to return his back to his vehicle or house, but he flung it into the bushes.
He then reentered the building. Johnson was eventually arrested on outstanding warrants for violating a domestic violence protection order. Deputies noticed the abandoned backpack and launched a follow-up investigation.
“Keep in mind that this is the same bag Johnson asked our deputies to hold just before his arrest,” the sheriff’s office added.
Within the bag, deputies discovered roughly 26 grams of methamphetamine, various drug paraphernalia, a machete, and a hatchet.
Johnson is now charged with felony methamphetamine possession, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a weapon on court/state property, and carrying a hidden weapon, in addition to his previous counts.
He remains in detention on a $25,000 secured bond.
Johnson’s backpack is now safely secured in evidence and will remain there until the matter is completed.
The sheriff’s department warned the public, “The hardworking men and women of the UCSO always seek to serve and protect, but please don’t ask us to hold onto your drugs.”