Thomas Frye, Chief Deputy for the Cherokee County (NC) Sheriff's Office, has been in law enforcement for 34 years. Formerly a drug and criminal investigator with the State Bureau of Investigations, Frey went on to head the Multiple Agency Narcotics Unit in western North Carolina.

Having attended the Charlotte Police Academy, the SBI Accademy and the DEA Academy, Frye is expertly knowledgable in all areas of illegal drug activities and what profound impacts they have on our children and our communities.

MAN Unit is a multi-agency (Cherokee & Clay County Sheriff’s Office) drug task force designed as a regional partnership to disrupt, investigate and prosecute illegal drug activities. Obtaining, corroborating, disseminating and acting on intelligence information are the basis of the Units operations. The primary goal of the Unit is to significantly reduce the availability of dangerous drugs within our communities. The Unit takes pride in working with any and all local, state and federal agencies in its efforts to combat drug trafficking. The Unit is dedicated to working within our communities and schools to educate the public and our children of the dangerous of drug abuse. The Unit continues to emphasize the importance of drug education and treatment in its efforts to combat drug abuse. The Unit actively supports our newly established Coalition for a Safe and Drug Free Cherokee County.

The Unit receives grant funding from the N.C. Governor’s Crime Commission to partially fund its operations to combat illegal drug trafficking. The support of the Governor’s Crime Commission in awarding our county these grants has greatly enhanced drug enforcement operations within the Cherokee and Clay counties.

In 2005, the MAN Unit was recognized by, and received an Award of Excellence, from the Department of Justice, Office of Bureau of Justice Assistance. This presentation was made during the Bureau of Justice Assistance regional conference in Charlotte.

The Unit utilizes available training with DEA, Bureau of Justice Assistance, N.C. Justice Academy and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to meet its training needs. The Unit combined with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office has six officers who are clandestine lab certified and equipped to enter meth lab sites. Clandestine Laboratories are often very volatile and dangerous, therefore, responding officers are required to have extensive training to become certified. MAN Unit officers received their training in this field through DEA in Quantico, Virginia.