Federal, State, and Local Partners Form Catawba Valley Violent Crime Task Force

February 1, 2026

FBI Charlotte is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to target offenders and prevent violent crimes in Catawba County. The FBI, Catawba County Sheriff's Office, Hickory Police Department, Maiden Police Department, Newton Police Department, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are combining efforts to serve as a force-multiplier targeting violent criminals.

The task force will focus on disrupting significant violent crime before it occurs. Agents and detectives will also respond to and investigate local cases, especially those with connections to gang violence, armed robberies, and drug trafficking.

Our joint cases will be reviewed by both the U.S. Attorney's Office Western District of North Carolina and the Catawba County District Attorney's Office to determine the most appropriate venue for successful prosecutions in our judicial system.

"People willing to commit violent crimes don't care about city and county lines, this new partnership means they can't escape the power of our justice system, no matter where they live and where they go to wreak havoc on innocent people. The FBI will do everything we can to support our state and local partners to hold violent criminals accountable." said Nathan E. Oubre, the acting FBI Charlotte special agent in charge.

“Following the tragic incident on Walnut Acres Drive our office has placed an increased focus on persons in our area who, by the nature of their suspected criminal behavior, are high risk of committing violent crimes. This taskforce will greatly aid us in this effort. We are proud to partner with these agencies. Our joint goal is to prevent further incidents of mass violence that so greatly impact our communities,” said Catawba County Sheriff Don G. Brown II.

“Preventing violent crime is a shared focus among local, state and federal law enforcement agencies,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “ATF will continue to stand with our partners and provide every resource available to help keep our communities safe.”

“The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation remains committed to strong partnerships with our fellow law enforcement partners. Multi-agency collaborations will combine resources to investigate and disrupt criminal activity that exceeds the capacity or jurisdiction of a single agency. The development of this task force will play a major role in showing a strong united front to deter and prevent crimes,” said Angie Key, SBI special agent in charge of the Northwestern District.

"The Hickory Police Department is incredibly proud to stand alongside our federal, state and local partners in this unified front of the Catawba Valley Violent Crime Task Force. This task force is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together toward a common goal. These strong, collaborative partnerships allow us to pool our resources and intelligence, ensuring we are more effective and more resilient in our mission to prevent and rid our communities of violence. Together, we are building a safer future for every family in our community,” said Hickory Police Department Chief Bryan Adams.

“Our department is proud of the strong partnerships we have formed with these local, state, and federal agencies. These relationships allow law enforcement to share information, resources and manpower across the region repeatedly and consistently, creating a force multiplier during incidents of violent crime, drug trafficking, and other serious criminal investigations. We look forward to continuing our work with this outstanding group of professionals. Together we remain committed to protecting the people and communities we serve,” said Maiden Police Chief
Tyler Whisenant.

“As Chief of Police for the City of Newton, I am delighted with our department’s participation in the Catawba Valley Violent Crime Task Force. This partnership represents a strong commitment to collaboration, intelligence sharing, and proactive crime reduction. By continuously working alongside our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we strengthen our ability to identify, disrupt, and prevent violent criminal activity before it impacts our community. This assignment reflects the professionalism of our officers and reinforces our shared mission to enhance public safety, protect victims, and hold violent offenders accountable. Together, we are safer, stronger, and better prepared to serve the people we are sworn to protect,” said Newton Police Department Chief Vidal A. Sipe. 

“In growing counties, it doesn’t take long for violent crime to grow, too,” said Russ Ferguson, U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. “The best deterrent is federal charges, where penalties are serious and accountability is real. We are committed to working with federal, state, and local partners to fast-track these cases in federal court to solve the violent crime problem.” 

Catawba County is one of the safest communities in North Carolina, but we recognize that a small number of repeat violent offenders are responsible for a disproportionate amount of serious crime. This task force is focused on identifying those individuals early and, through close coordination with our federal, state, and local partners, ensuring the most effective prosecutions possible. Our goal is straightforward: prevent violence, hold violent offenders accountable, and keep Catawba County safe,” said Catawba County District Attorney Scott Reilly.