Parking Lot Nap Results in Drug and Gun Charges

Clay County Sheriff's Office

Press Release

On 10/30/26 around 5:00 PM Clay County Officer Donovan Burke responded to the Ingles parking lot in Hayesville after a report of a man passed out behind the steering wheel of a grey Ford F-150 pickup truck. Officer Burke located the truck and found Jessie Ray Guffey, 55 years of age from Hayesville, in the driver’s seat. While looking inside of the truck, Officer Burke noticed a long gun in the front passenger seat and an empty holster on Guffey’s belt. Officer Burke asked Guffey if he needed medical help. Guffey said he was only taking a nap.

Officer Burke was then notified by Clay County Chief Deputy Tyler Faggard that Guffey was a convicted felon. Officer Burke then removed Guffey from the truck and placed him under arrest for felony Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Officer Burke searched Guffey’s person and found two 9mm cartridges, a glass pipe wrapped in aluminum foil, and a marble sized ball of aluminum foil containing a crystal-like substance that later field-tested positive for 1.5 grams of methamphetamine.

Officer Burke conducted a probable cause search of Guffey’s truck and seized a 9mm semi-automatic Taurus pistol that was loaded and a cartridge in its chamber. Officer Burke also seized from the truck a break action Springfield 20-gauge shotgun with a live shotshell in its chamber. During this investigation Clay County Sgt Corey Scroggs, Officer Chris Moral, and Sheriff Mark Buchanan arrived and assisted Officer Burke. Guffey’s truck was towed from Ingles’ parking lot for safekeeping.

Guffey was transported to the Clay County Detention Center and charged with felony Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and felony Possession of Methamphetamine. Clay County Magistrate Dave West ordered Guffey to be held without a bond.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.