Father of Cullman spa owner accused of drug trafficking arrested after weeks on the run

CULLMAN, Ala. (WIAT) — Nearly a month after the owner of a wellness spa in Cullman was arrested and charged with using her business to traffic drugs, her father has been arrested.

Kelvin Neil Cheatham, 55, turned himself over to police Thursday morning. His daughter, Whitney Cheatham, was arrested back in August and charged with several drug trafficking and conspiracy to traffic charges, as well as forgery. She was the owner of Infusion Wellness Spa, where prosecutors claim she used to sell drugs like oxycodone and forge prescriptions.

Police had been looking for Kelvin Cheatham as early as Aug. 19. He is charged with the following:

2 counts of Drug Trafficking (Title 13A-12-231(3))

• 2 counts of drug trafficking
• 1 count of attempted drug trafficking
• 1 count of criminal conspiracy to commit drug trafficking
• 1 count of criminal conspiracy to commit a controlled substance crime
• 1 count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance by fraud
• 5 counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument

Cheatham has had previous run-ins with the law. In 2008, he was charged with first-degree rape and second-degree sodomy involving a minor, but he ended up pleading guilty to a lesser charge–sexual misconduct–in 2009. He served six months in prison before being released.

In addition to the trafficking charges, Whitney Cheatham is also accused of selling or trying to sell other controlled substances, such as Adderall, testosterone cypionate, Xanax and hydrocodone. She is also accused of practicing medicine or osteopathy without a license.

The case remains under investigation with police saying that further arrests could be made.