A former chief deputy with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office has been indicted on seven criminal charges following an investigation into alleged misconduct involving inmates and detention center employees.
According to court records, 42-year-old Bronis Coy Phillips is accused of providing an inmate with alcohol, tobacco products, controlled substances, and an AR-15-style rifle while the inmate was in custody. Investigators also allege Phillips removed the inmate from the Madison County Detention Center and forced the inmate to perform labor at his home.
The indictment includes charges of furnishing controlled substances, alcohol, tobacco products, and a deadly weapon to an inmate, as well as felony involuntary servitude. Phillips also faces two counts of felony assault with a firearm on detention center employees after allegedly pointing a handgun at fellow correctional officers.
The alleged incidents took place between July and September of 2025. Phillips was recently arrested in Arizona and returned to North Carolina to face the charges. The case remains under investigation.