Tennessee Highway Patrol Makes Traffic Stop and Arrests Wanted Fugitive from Virginia

Fugitive had multiple active warrants for identity crimes

Knoxville - On February 17, 2017, Trooper Carll Duryea II of the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s (THP) Interdiction Plus Team (IPT) of the Knoxville District stopped a vehicle in Sevier County for a traffic violation on I-40 East. During the stop, Trooper Duryea observed possible criminal indicators and requested consent to search the vehicle, which was granted. Trooper Duryea spoke with a female passenger who provided a name, date of birth and social security number. That information proved to be the identity of an identity crimes victim out of Virginia, whose identity was stolen by the female passenger.

THP Knoxville District Trooper Keith Ogle and THP’s Identity Crimes Unit (ICU) Trooper Jonathan Scott responded to the scene to assist. The search revealed 21 personal checks and four deposit slips belonging to three victims. The search also produced 10 credit/debit and gift cards. The troopers contacted the bank named on the checks and confirmed all of the checks were counterfeit, forgeries and not associated to real accounts.

Interviews revealed the true identity of the female passenger to be Sandra Delp, 39, of Chilhowie, Virginia. Delp is a fugitive wanted by multiple agencies in Virginia. Delp has numerous active felony warrants in Virginia for forgery, fraud-illegal use of credit cards, welfare fraud, bad checks, and obtaining money by false pretenses.

Delp was arrested without incident and was charged with multiple felony counts of criminal simulation, forgery, identity theft, felony tampering with evidence, fugitive from justice and one misdemeanor for criminal impersonation. The driver, Marcus Ashby, 24, of Marion, Virginia, was cited for driving on a revoked driver license along with other traffic violations. All three vehicle occupants were from Virginia, and were all prior convicted felons.

A booking photo of Sandra Delp can be obtained through the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s (www.TN.Gov/safety) mission is to serve, secure, and protect the people of Tennessee.

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