Scott Sasek

The Crime

On February 14, 2017, Scott Sasek received a Facebook message from Jeremy Burleson asking Scott to meet with him so he could return items he took from Scott’s shed. Scott and his then girlfriend met Burleson in a Roses parking lot. Unbeknownst to them, Burleson was acting as a confidential informant and had told Yancey County Sheriff’s Office deputies that he could buy methamphetamine from Scott. Deputies provided Burleson with cash and parked across the highway, where they took photographs of Scott pulling up in a car next to Jeremy’s truck and opening its trunk. The photos also showed that something was taken from the back of Jeremy’s truck and put into the car’s trunk, but the images do not show the item.  There are no photos of a hand-to-hand transfer between the two and no audio of the meeting.

Scott was not followed after the meeting and stopped to determine if he had the cash the deputies had given to Burleson. Burleson met with the deputies and gave them a small bag with a powdered substance that later tested positive for a small amount of meth. Three months later, Scott was charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession with intent to sell methamphetamine, the sale of methamphetamine, and delivery of methamphetamine.

He eventually received a favorable plea offer that would have given him probation but rejected that plea and stood by his innocence.

The Trial

On March 20, 2019, Sasek’s trial began and the State’s case centered around the testimony of Burleson, Lieutenant Robinson, Detective Letterman, and Deborah Chancey, a forensic analyst.

Burleson testified that he had become acquainted with Lt. Robinson in a prior unrelated case where Burleson provided testimony against a different defendant and that, as a result, he knew the Yancey County Sheriff’s Office was “trying to find targets” in Yancey County. Burleson contacted the Sheriff’s Office about the buy and was then taken to the Sheriff’s office, searched, and given several hundred dollars of photocopied bills to buy the methamphetamine from Sasek.

Lt. Robinson, who parked in a Sav-Mor parking lot near the meet-up, testified to seeing Sasek exit his vehicle and walk over to the passenger seat of Burleson’s vehicle, where the two men spoke for a couple of minutes, returned to their cars and eventually left the parking lot.

Det. Letterman, who positioned himself approximately 75-80 yards away from the alleged buy, testified that Sasek exited his vehicle, walked to the passenger door of Burleson’s vehicle, opened it, and bent down to talk to Burleson. After a few minutes of conversation, Letterman recalled Sasek shutting the passenger door and seeing a female exit Sasek’s vehicle. The three parties then stood around and talked for a few minutes more. Letterman testified that following the meeting, Burleson met him behind the Sav-Mor and handed him the baggie containing the substance. Letterman further testified to Burleson’s version of the story, which alleged that Burleson and Sasek spoke for a few minutes at the passenger side of Burleson’s car, and that Burleson then handed Sasek $275 for the drugs.

Scott’s Defense Attorney relied entirely on cross-examining the State’s witnesses and did not call any witnesses of his own. The Defense primarily challenged the credibility of Burleson, who, at the time of Scott’s trial, had pending charges that carried a maximum sentence of over 46 years, for which he eventually received three years. While Burleson denied being promised a deal for his testimony, he did admit that he hoped his testimony would result in a reduced sentence. Burleson also testified that he had worked as a confidential informant in approximately 25-50 controlled buys in the past and was motivated by both payment and reductions in his sentences.

The Defense also emphasized the lackluster nature of the search conducted on Burleson, who could have easily had the baggie before he met with Scott. While Burleson testified that he was thoroughly searched, Lt. Robinson admitted that the search was “not as intrusive” as it would have been if they were arresting him.

On May 22, 2019, Scott Sasek was convicted of all charges and was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of roughly 20 years in prison. On May 19, 2020, the North Carolina Court of Appeals affirmed the convictions and on December 15, 2020, the Supreme Court of North Carolina denied the petition for discretionary review.

Postconviction Center Involvement

Upon reviewing Scott Sasek’s case, it was clear to the NCCAI that a drug deal never occurred. Scott received ineffective assistance of counsel when counsel did not interview Scott’s former girlfriend who was present for the alleged buy, did not obtain or use Facebook messages exchanged between Burleson and Scott, failed to question the officers about the photographs taken during the alleged buy, and failed to consult with or call an expert regarding the reliability of the drug testing.

The Center filed a Motion for Appropriate Relief in May 2023 seeking to vacate Scott’s conviction and granting him a new trial, or an evidentiary hearing. That filing was amended in March 2025 with statements made by law enforcement officers who will testify regarding Burleson’s unreliability and his history of hiding drugs under his belly fat rolls, which he would then swap with money provided by law enforcement during “controlled” buys.

A hearing in Scott’s case is scheduled for April 9, 2025.