The man who murdered four family members in their home in Conover on March 12 had been arrested in 2004 and charged with trafficking heroin or opium and conspiring to traffic in opium here.
Hickory Police Chief Tom Adkins confirmed Wednesday that Chiew Chan Saevang, 37, was arrested June 9, 2004. At that time, Saevang had a Hickory address. He was part of an ongoing investigation, Adkins said.
Saevang shot himself to death after a police chase in Utah Tuesday night.
Adkins said in 2004 his department was part of the Catawba Valley Criminal Enterprise, a task force that included the Catawba County Sheriff's Office, the SBI, the FBI, the DEA and other local agencies.
Saevang was tried in federal court and not on the local or state levels because federal agencies had already been investigating him for trafficking.
Federal interest trumps local prosecution, so "We deferred to federal authorities," Adkins said.
Adkins said Saevang served 46 months in federal prison after his conviction on the charges in the Hickory arrest.
After Saevang's release from prison, he took up residence in another location.
"We are not aware of him returning to Hickory to live," Adkins said.
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