A Patrick Springs man was taken into custody on April 22, in connection with a Winston-Salem, NC, robbery.

Jerry Christopher Howard, 40, of Pleasant View Drive, is currently in the Patrick County Jail awaiting extradition to Winston-Salem, according to the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office received information from the Winston-Salem Police Department on April 22 that they held a robbery warrant on Howard.

A sergeant later observed Howard driving a Ford pickup truck on Pleasant View Drive and attempted to stop Howard.

Howard evaded and was spotted a short time later by a Virginia State Police Trooper.

The trooper initiated a traffic stop and Howard was taken onto custody without incident.

A search warrant was subsequently obtained by Patrick County Sheriff’s investigators for Howard’s house on Pleasant View Drive.

Approximately one pound of suspected meth was seized as result of the search warrant.  

“This is enough meth to infect more than 400 people when broken down into typically sold quantities,” Sheriff Dan Smith stated.

Smith described the seizure as “significant” in slowing the distribution of meth in the county.

Smith stated that a narcotics detection K9 from the Martinsville Police Department alerted on the the hidden drugs inside of the house.

Other agencies assisting the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office were: Virginia State Police, US Department of Homeland Security, Surry County, NC, Sheriff’s Office, Stokes County, NC, Sheriff’s Office and the Mount Airy, NC, Police Department.

Smith stated that the narcotics investigation against Howard is continuing, and urges anyone with information to contact his department.