NC appeals court overturns former deputy’s obstruction of justice convictions
The North Carolina Court of Appeals has vacated the convictions of a former Granville County deputy, who spent more than a year in prison.
In February 2022, a jury found Chad Coffey guilty of those charges, while acquitting him on 12 others. Coffey was accused of falsifying training and qualification requirements for former Granville County Sheriff Brindell Wilkins and his former chief deputy from 2013 to 2018.
Coffey’s attorney argued the 20-year deputy signed off on the false information on the sheriff’s order, but knew the two men had years of experience and weren’t on the street making arrests.
The case was prosecuted by District Attorney Lorrin Freeman in Wake County. Coffey spent one year and three months in state prisons after the trial, according to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction website.
In a ruling released Tuesday, the Court of Appeals ruled that the indictments, charges issued during the secretive grand jury process, were flawed and the convictions should be vacated.
Freeman said she is reviewing the order and considering the best next step.
The order states that the indictment failed to explain all the elements of the obstruction of justice charge, specifically how Coffey’s acts hindered “public or legal justice.”
The indictments allege that Coffey provided false information to the North Carolina Sheriff’s Education Standards Division so Wilkins and his chief deputy could maintain their law enforcement certification.
“While these alleged actions are wrongful,” the indictments don’t show how Coffey’s action were meant to undermine an investigation or legal proceeding, states the Court of Appeals order authored by Judge Tobias Hampson. Judges Chris Dillon and Michael Stading agreed.
In 2019, Wilkins was accused of plotting to kill one of his deputies who had a recording of the sheriff using racist language.
Charges of obtaining property by false pretenses and obstruction of justice charges followed related to allegations of falsifying training records.
In December 2022, a Wake County judge sentenced Wilkins to eight to 19 months in prison after he was convicted of five counts of obtaining property by false pretenses and five counts of obstructing justice related to falsifying training records.
In October 2023, Wilkins was sentenced to an additional six months after he pleaded guilty in Granville County to two felonies and two misdemeanors related to the allegations he plotted to kill a deputy. Wilkins is currently scheduled to be released from prison in February 2025, according to North Carolina Department of Adult Correction’s website.
Virginia Bridges covers criminal justice in the Triangle and across North Carolina for The News & Observer. Her work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The N&O maintains full editorial control of its journalism.
