Holiday Enforcement Operation in Lenoir County Leads to 88 Charges, Multiple Arrests
The Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office Governor’s Highway Safety Program Crash Reduction Team hosted an operation on the Western Side of Lenoir County Saturday, January 3, 2026 as the annual GHSP Holiday ‘Booze It & Lose It’ Campaign came to an end.
Led by Sheriff Jackie Rogers, Chief Deputy C. Owens, and Assistant District Attorney Mike Muskus, law enforcement focused efforts on Lenoir County roadways in the La Grange and Seven Springs areas. Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reduction Team, Street Crimes and Rapid Response Team, and Patrol Division A Shift were joined by Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, Craven County Sheriff’s Office, Duplin County Sheriff’s Office, Jones County Sheriff’s Office, Pink Hill Police Department, and North Carolina Highway Patrol in cooperative enforcement efforts.
During the operation Deputies, Officers, and Troopers issued a total of 88 charges to include: 3 Driving While Impaired, 1 Aid and Abet Driving While Impaired, 17 Speeding, 2 Reckless Driving, 2 Seat Belt Violations, 3 Driving While License Revoked, 11 No Operator’s License, 6 Criminal Charges, 4 Felony Drug Charges, 3 Misdemeanor Drug Charges, and 21 Other Traffic Related Charges. Arrests were made for 2 Felony Warrants for Arrest and 1 Misdemeanor Order for Arrest. An additional 25 Warnings were issued.
This operation was made possible through the cooperation and hard work of the Lenoir County District Attorney’s Office, the Lenoir County Magistrate’s Office, the Lenoir County Detention Center, and Lenoir County Emergency Communications. The North Carolina Forensic Testing for Alcohol Branch provided the mobile testing bus, which was set up in La Grange, for the operation.
Listed below are the arrests made during the operation:
Guadalupe Shilon Santiz, age 21, of Mexico was arrested subsequent to a vehicle stop. Santiz was charged with:
Driving While Impaired
Carrying Concealed Gun
Fail to Heed Light or Siren
Fictitious Information to Officer
No Operators License
Impede Traffic by Slow Speed
Fail to Maintain Lane Control
Fail to Wear Seat Belt – Driver
Consume Alcohol Passenger Area
Santiz received a $10,000 Secure Bond and an Immigration Custom Enforcement Hold. Santiz was placed into the custody of the Lenoir County Detention Center.
Justin Garret Stalmach, age 29, of Mount Olive was arrested subsequent to a vehicle stop. Stalmach was charged with:
Driving While Impaired
Reckless Driving to Endanger
Fail to Maintain Lane Control
Stalmach received a $1,500 Unsecured Bond with a Custody Release to a Sober Licensed Driver.
Carlos Chavez, age 22, of Smithfield was arrested subsequent to a vehicle stop, charged with:
Felony Possession of Cocaine
Driving While Impaired
Reckless Driving to Endanger
No Operators License
Fail to Comply License Restrictions
Misdemeanor Child Abuse
Fail to Stop Stop Sign
Chavez received a combined $10,000 Secured Bond and placed into the custody of the Lenoir County Detention Center.
Esmeralda Cardoso-Silva, age 24, of Smithfield was charged on citation subsequent to the vehicle stop with:
Aid and Abet Driving While Impaired
Misdemeanor Child Abuse
Pamela Nicole Bradley, age 35, of Goldsboro was arrested subsequent to a vehicle stop. Bradley was charged with:
Felony Possession of Methamphetamine
Misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Bradley received a $15,000 Secure Bond and was placed into the custody of the Lenoir County Detention Center.
Geoffrey Thomas Lewandowski, age 30, of Jacksonville was arrested subsequent to a vehicle stop, charged with:
Felony Possession of Methamphetamine
Misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Lewandowski was served with a Felony Warrant for arrest out of Onslow County for:
Felony Obtaining Property by False Pretense
Felony Possession of Stolen Motor Vehicle
Lewandowski was served with a Misdemeanor Order for Arrest out of Onslow County for:
FTC Money
Lewandowski received combined $45,725.30 Secure Bond and was placed into the custody of the Lenoir County Detention Center.
Omari Ni Quan Lowery-Rahaman, age 26, of Kinston was arrested subsequent to a vehicle stop, charged with:
Felony Possession of Methamphetamine
Misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Lowery-Rahaman received $5,000 Secure Bond and was placed into the custody of the Lenoir County Detention Center.
Tyshea S Koonce, age 30, of Kinston was taken into custody for a Felony Warrant for Arrest out of Lenoir County subsequent to a vehicle stop for:
Felony Obtaining Property by False Pretense
Felony Uttering Forged Instrument.
Koonce received a $5,000.00 Secured Bond and placed into the custody of the Lenoir County Detention Center.
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