DALLAS – Corrections and law enforcement officers are searching for inmate Dennis Carver #0478723, a minimum-security inmate.assigned to Gaston Correctional Center.  Carver left this afternoon while performing maintenance duties outside the prison’s perimeter fence.

He is serving a five-year sentence for larceny of a motor vehicle and was scheduled for release in March 2019.

Anyone with information on Carver’s whereabouts is asked to call local law enforcement or Gaston Correctional Center at 704-922-3861.

A Bladen County man is facing charges in Columbus County following a robbery at the Whiteville Tractor Supply Store on Thursday.

Patrick Kyle Prevatte, 29, is alleged to have entered the Tractor Supply Store located at 26 Whites Crossing Lane, at about 8 p.m. and pretended he was going to purchase a drink.

Prevatte is alleged to have reached in to the drawer when the clerk opened the cash register. The clerk struggled with Prevatte but he was able to grab about $1,000 in cash, according to reports.

According to reports, Prevatte was seen running towards some woods near the store. After a search of the area by Whiteville police, an abandoned car was found with items inside that belonged to Prevatte.

Prevatte surrendered to the Whiteville Police Department on Monday after police made contact with his family, according to reports.

He is charged with felony common law robbery and larceny. Prevatte was also wanted on a warrant from Brunswick County for failing to appear on larceny and possession of stolen goods charges.

Sheriff James A. McVicker said deputies with his office set up a license checking station on Chicken Foot Road in the Tobymory community of Bladen County Wednesday afternoon and in just a few short minutes made an arrest of an individual with a pound of marijuana and a concealed weapon.

“My deputies set up a license checking station Wednesday afternoon and one of the first cars to pass through had a strong odor of marijuana coming from it,” McVicker said.

“Deputies then had the driver pull to the shoulder of the road and did a search of the vehicle. This is when they found a pound of marijuana packaged for resale, $394.00 in US currency and a .38 caliber handgun.”

Arrested was Jeffrey Tyler Crawford, 24, of 423 Britton Street Whiteville, NC. Crawford was charged with one count of Carrying a Concealed Weapon, one count of Possession With Intent to Sell and Deliver Marijuana, and one count of Manufacturing Marijuana.

Crawford was placed in Bladen County Jail under a $10,500.00 secured bond.

A Whiteville man has been arrested on alcohol and drug charges following a raid Friday of a nightclub with a Clarkton address.

Ramon Jarver Currie, 26, has been charged with possessing alcohol for the purpose of selling, trafficking Schedule II narcotics, possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver marijuana, maintaining a vehicle for the purpose of selling controlled substances and possession of marijuana paraphernalia, according to a news release from N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement. Currie was being held in Columbus County Jail under a $104,000 secured bond.

Investigators were looking for a homicide suspect at 735 Mitchell Field Road, Clarkton, on Friday when they found the club, drugs and weapons, said Special Agent Brent Massey. The Bladen County Sheriff’s Office, Columbus County Sheriff’s Office and ALE conducted a search of Club Moan.

Multiple cases of beer were sitting on the bar and two coolers were full of various malt beverages, more than the legal amount of alcohol allowed by law for an individual to possess on his property, according to the release. A vehicle on the property was searched with consent and agents found two loaded handguns, three loaded rifles, 159 grams of marijuana, 73 tablets of Naproxen, 80 of Oxycodone, six of Alprazolam, 41 of Opana, three cases of beer, 20 bottles of liquor and $16,613 in cash.

Authorities say Currie took responsibility for the items found in the vehicle.

In anticipation of the upcoming general elections, the Justice Department today provided information about its efforts, through the Civil Rights Division and Criminal Division, to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation or fraud in the election process.

Civil Rights Division:

The Civil Rights Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote and the criminal provisions of federal statutes that prohibit discriminatory interference with that right.

The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of a wide range of federal statutes that protect the right to vote including: the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the Help America Vote Act and the Civil Rights Acts.  Among other things, collectively, these laws:

*prohibit election practices that have either a discriminatory purpose, based on race or membership in a minority language group, or a discriminatory result, with members of racial or language minority groups having less opportunity than other citizens to participate in the political process;

*prohibit voter intimidation;

*provide that individuals who need assistance in voting because of disability or illiteracy can obtain assistance from a person of their choice;

*provide for accessible election machines for voters with disabilities;

require provisional ballots for voters who assert they are eligible but whose names do not appear on poll books;

*provide for absentee ballots for service members, their family members and U.S. citizens living abroad;

*require states to ensure that citizens can register through drivers’ license offices, public assistance and disability services offices, other state agencies and through the mail; and

*include requirements regarding maintaining voter registration lists.

The Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.

On Election Day, Nov. 8, 2016, the Civil Rights Division will implement a comprehensive program to help protect the right to vote, including:

*The Civil Rights Division will conduct monitoring in the field at polling places around the country (locations for monitoring will be announced closer to Election Day).

*Civil Rights Division attorneys in both the Voting and Criminal Sections in Washington, D.C., will be ready to receive election-related complaints of potential violations relating to any of the statutes the Civil Rights Division enforces.  Attorneys in the division will take appropriate action and will consult and coordinate with local U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and with other entities within the Justice Department concerning these complaints before, during and after Election Day.

*Civil Rights Division staff will be available by phone to receive complaints related to voting rights (1-800-253-3931 toll free or 202-307-2767) or by TTY (202-305-0082).  In addition, individuals may also report complaints, problems or concerns related to voting by fax 202-307-3961, by mail to voting.section@usdoj.gov Email links icon and by complaint forms that may be submitted through a link on the department’s website: https://www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss.

*Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place      should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911.  They should also be reported to the department after local authorities are contacted.

Criminal Division and the Department’s 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices:

The Department’s Criminal Division oversees the enforcement of federal laws that criminalize certain forms of election fraud and vindicate the integrity of the federal election process.

The Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and the department’s 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are responsible for enforcing the federal criminal laws that prohibit various forms of election fraud, such as vote buying, multiple voting, submission of fraudulent ballots or registrations, alteration of votes and malfeasance by election officials.  The Criminal Division is also responsible for enforcing federal criminal law prohibiting voter intimidation for reasons other than race, color, national origin or religion (as noted above, voter intimidation that has a basis in race, color, national origin or religion is addressed by the Civil Rights Division).

The U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country designate Assistant U.S. Attorneys who serve as district election officers (DEOs) in the respective districts.  DEOs are responsible for overseeing potential election-crime matters in their districts and coordinating with the department’s election-crime experts in Washington, D.C.

On Nov. 8, 2016, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices will work with specially trained FBI personnel in each district to ensure that complaints from the public involving possible voter fraud are handled appropriately.  Specifically:

*In consultation with federal prosecutors in the Public Integrity Section in Washington, D.C., the DEOs in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, FBI officials at Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and FBI special agents serving as Election Crime Coordinators in the FBI’s 56 field offices will be on duty while polls are open to receive complaints from the public.

*Election-crime complaints should be directed to the local U.S. Attorney’s Offices or the local FBI office.  A list of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and their telephone numbers can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao/find-your-united-states-attorney?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss.  A list of FBI offices and accompanying telephone numbers can be found at https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss.

*Public Integrity Section prosecutors are available to consult and coordinate with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI regarding the handling of election-crime allegations.

*Again, complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported first to local police authorities by calling 911.

Both protecting the right to vote and combating election fraud are essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government.  The department encourages anyone who has information suggesting voting discrimination or ballot fraud to contact the appropriate authorities.

On Monday, Oct. 24, at 9 a.m. a break in was reported at Southern Professional Counseling located at 306 West Broad Street in Elizabethtown.

Patrolman Joseph Butler, of the Elizabethtown Police Department, responded to the scene and made contact with the reporting parties who advised that someone had made entry into the business over the weekend by damaging and forcing open the back door. Patrolman Joshua Pittman of the Elizabethtown Police Department was able to develop Jason Neal Richardson, 43 years of age, of Aberdeen, as a person of interest in this case and relayed this information to investigating officer Butler. On Tuesday, Oct. 25, Patrolman Butler was able to establish probable cause and effect an arrest.

Officer Butler charged Jason Richardson for the misdemeanor breaking and entering which occurred at Southern Professional Counseling. The defendant, Jason Neal Richardson, is currently being held in Bladen County Jail under a $500 secured bond.

tommy-datwan-collins

morris-keith-bellamy

marcus-jermil-blake-1

michael-monroe-matthews

aaron-newkrik-jr

reginald-hatcher

curtis-riggins

dora-pone-johnson

obadiah-jones

ramon-jarvar-currie

anthony-lee-parker

steve-leach

terrell-shipman

william-purdie

michael-mcclendon

carlton-cornelius-pone

marcus-mckoy

michael-clemmons

clara-jo-shipman

treiman-terrell-thomas

timothy-parker

jean-williams

alfred-burney

james-tyrone-johnson

lubertha-lewis-drayton

The Bladen County Sheriff’s Office along with members of the North Carolina Probation and Parole began arresting suspects at 5 a.m. on Thursday morning. As of Thursday afternoon 21 individuals had been arrested and officials were still searching for five more suspects. In all 26 individuals were targeted in the operation. 

The arrests came as a result of an months long undercover operation, according to Bladen County Sheriff Jim McVicker.

“Operation Fall Harvest is the culmination of many months of hard work by my Narcotics Unit,” said McVicker. “My deputies, with the assistance of members of North Carolina Probation and Parole began an early morning sweep to arrest these individuals. My deputies have made numerous undercover buys over the past few months all over the county. We began our roundup this morning sending teams of officers across the county to wake these criminals, place them under arrest, and bring them to justice.”

McVicker said other criminals with outstanding warrants were also located and arrested during the roundup.

Marcus Cyril McKoy, 24, of 24 Pear Tree Road, Clarkton, NC was charged with one count of Robbery With A Dangerous Weapon and two counts of Second Degree Kidnapping that occurred on October 7^th in the Clarkton area. Bond was set at $76,500.00

Arrested and charged with drug violations were:

Marcus Jermil Blake, 33, of 111 Ranch Circle, Kelly, NC. Blake was charged with one count each of Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Acetaminophen Oxycodone a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Sell Acetaminophen Oxycodone a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Deliver Acetaminophen Oxycodone a Schedule III Controlled Substance: and Manufacture Acetaminophen Oxycodone a Schedule III Controlled Substance. Bond was set at $50, 000.00

Timothy Wayne Parker, 43, of 119 Sandy Ridge Road, Elizabethtown, NC. Parker was charged with one count each of Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Oxycodone Hydrochloride a Schedule II Controlled Substance, Sell and Deliver Oxycodone Hydrochloride a Schedule II Controlled Substance, Manufacture Oxycodone Hydrochloride a Schedule II Controlled Substance. Bond was set at $200,000

Aaron James Newkirk Jr., 40, of 799 Mitchell Ford Road, Clarkton, NC was charged with one count each of Manufacture Acetaminophen Oxycodone a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Maintain a Vehicle/Dwelling to Sell Controlled Substances; Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Acetaminophen Oxycodone a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Sell Acetaminophen Oxycodone a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Deliver Acetaminophen Oxycodone a Schedule III Controlled Substance. Bond was set at $100,000.00.

Steve Donyell Leach, 30, of Apartment 30, Oakdale Homes, Clarkton, NC. Leach was charged with one count each of Possession With Intent to Sell and Deliver Marijuana; Sell Marijuana; Deliver Marijuana; and Manufacture Marijuana. Bond was set at $15,000.00

Anthony Lee Parker, 29, of 1007 NC 211 East, Clarkton, NC. Parker was arrested and charged with one count each of Possession With Intent To Sell and Deliver Cocaine; Sell Cocaine; Deliver Cocaine; Manufacture Cocaine; Maintain a Dwelling/Vehicle to Sell Controlled Substances. Bond was set at $50,000.00

Alfred Antonio Burney, 32, of 938 Porterville School Road, Clarkton, NC. Burney is charged with one count each of Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Marijuana, a Schedule XI Controlled Substance; Sell and Deliver Marijuana, a Schedule XI Controlled Substance; Manufacture Marijuana, a Schedule XI Controlled Substance; and Maintain a Vehicle/Dwelling Place to Sell Controlled Substances. Bond was set at $10,000.00

Reginald Hatcher, 45, of 197 Graham Road, Clarkton, NC was charged with one count of Conspiracy to Sell and Deliver Acetaminophen Oxycodone, a Schedule III Controlled Substance. Hatcher received a $7,000.00 bond

Michael Clemmons, 58, of 312 Ivey Street, Bladenboro, NC. Clemmons was charged with Possession with Intent to Manufacture Sell and Deliver Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Sell Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Deliver Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Manufacture Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; and Maintain a Dwelling/Vehicle to Sell Controlled Substances. Clemmons is under a $10,000.00 secured bond.

Carlton Cornelius Pone, 42, of 40 Pear Tree Lane, Clarkton, NC. Pone was charged with Maintaining a Vehicle/Dwelling To Sell Controlled Substances; two counts of Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Marijuana, a Schedule VI Controlled Substance; Sell and Deliver Marijuana, a Schedule VI Controlled Substance; Manufacture Marijuana, a Schedule VI Controlled Substance; Deliver Marijuana, a Schedule VI Controlled Substance; Sell Marijuana, a Schedule VI Controlled Substance. He received a $30,000.00 bond.

Dora Pone Johnson, 54, of 7654 Hwy 211 East, Clarkton, NC, charged with one count of Manufacturing Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Sell Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; and Deliver Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance. Ms. Johnson is under a $30,000.00 secured bond.

Clara Jo Shipman, 61, 197 Grand Road, Clarkton, NC, charged with Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Acetaminophen Oxycodone a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Sell Acetaminophen Oxycodone a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Deliver Acetaminophen Oxycodone a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Manufacture Acetaminophen Oxycodone a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Maintain a Vehicle/Dwelling Place to Sell Controlled Substances. Her bond was $10,000.00

Michael Lamar McClendon, 33, of 2030 Mercer Mill Road, Elizabethtown, charged with Possession With Intent To Sell and Deliver Cocaine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Sell Cocaine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Deliver Cocaine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Manufacture Cocaine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance. Bond was set at $50,000.00

Treimain Davon Thomas, 38, 1003 Richardson Street, Elizabethtown, NC, charged with Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Acetaminophen Oxycodone Hydrochloride a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Sell and Deliver Acetaminophen Oxycodone Hydrochloride a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Manufacture Acetaminophen Oxycodone Hydrochloride a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Maintain a Vehicle/ Dwelling to Sell Controlled Substances; Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell, and Deliver Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance;  Sell Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Deliver Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Manufacture Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance. Bond was set at $60,500.00

Jean Williams, 66, 200 Edgewood Street, Clarkton, NC, Charged with Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver, Oxycodone Hydrochloride, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Sell and Deliver Oxycodone Hydrochloride, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Manufacture Oxycodone Hydrochloride, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Acetaminophen Oxycodone Hydrochloride a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Sell and Deliver Acetaminophen Oxycodone Hydrochloride a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Manufacture Acetaminophen Oxycodone Hydrochloride a Schedule III Controlled Substance. Bond was set at $25,000.00

William James Purdie, 32, of 7123 Airport Road, Clarkton, NC, charged with Manufacture Acetaminophen Oxycodone a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Acetaminophen Oxycodone a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Sell Acetaminophen Oxycodone a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Deliver Acetaminophen Oxycodone a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Manufacture Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Maintain a Vehicle/Dwelling to Sell Controlled Substances; Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Sell Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Deliver Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance. He received a $20,000.00 bond.

Terrell Monquiel Shipman, 37, of 2133 Twisted Hickory Road, Elizabethtown, NC, charged with Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Oxycodone Hydrochloride, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Sell and Deliver Oxycodone Hydrochloride, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Manufacture Oxycodone Hydrochloride, a Schedule II Controlled Substance. Bond was set at $5,000.00

Lubertha Lewis Drayton, 63, of 38 George W. Kelly Road, Clarkton, NC, charged with Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Sell Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Deliver Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Manufacture Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Maintain a Vehicle/Dwelling to Sell Controlled Substances. Bond was set at $10,000.00

Obadiah Jones, 27, 146 Henry Jones Road, Council, NC, Manufacture Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Sell Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Deliver Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance. Bond was set at $20,000.00.

Curtis Riggins, 58, 237 Lacewell Street, Riegelwood, NC Conspiracy to Sell and Deliver Marijuana, a Schedule VI Controlled Substance. Bond was $2,500.00

Tommy Datwan Collins, 26, 3098 Mercer Mill Brown Marsh Road, Elizabethtown, NC. Collins was charged with Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Marijuana, a Schedule VI Controlled Substance; Sell and Deliver Marijuana, a Schedule VI Controlled Substance; Manufacture Marijuana, a Schedule VI Controlled Substance.

NOT ARRESTED TODAY WERE

Michael Monroe Matthews, 29, of 129 Merritt Road, Elizabethtown, NC. Matthews is charged with Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Marijuana, a Schedule VI Controlled Substance; Sell Marijuana, a Schedule VI Controlled Substance; Deliver Marijuana, a Schedule VI Controlled Substance; Manufacture Marijuana, a Schedule VI Controlled Substance.

James Tyrone Johnson, 30, of 36 George W. Kelly Road, Clarkton, NC. Charged with Possession With Intent to Sell and Deliver Cocaine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Sell Cocaine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Deliver Cocaine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Manufacture Cocaine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance.

Curtis Demetrius Gowans, 28, 88 West End Drive, Whiteville, NC, charged with Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Cocaine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Sell and Deliver Cocaine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance;  Manufacture Cocaine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Maintain a Dwelling/Vehicle to Sell Controlled Substances. No Photo Available.

Ramon Jarvar Currie, 26, of 1349 Rico Road, Whiteville, NC. Curries is charged with Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Acetaminophen Oxycodone Hydrochloride a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Sell and Deliver Acetaminophen Oxycodone Hydrochloride a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Manufacture Acetaminophen Oxycodone Hydrochloride a Schedule III Controlled Substance.

Morris Bellamy, 23, of 1622 Butler Mill Road, Bladenboro, NC. Bellamy is charged with

Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Sell Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Deliver Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Manufacture Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance.

Wreck Mercer Mill and US 701

Wreck at Mercer Mill and US 701 b

Wreck at Mercer Mill and US 701 c

A crash at the intersection of Mercer Mill Brown Marsh Road and S. Poplar Street in Elizabethtown snarled traffic during the morning commute on Tuesday.  A transfer truck struck a car in the intersection and injuries were reported to be minor.

The Elizabethtown Fire Department, Bladen County EMS and the Elizabethtown Police Department responded to the scene.

A Bladen County man was arrested and charged with indecent liberties with a child on Wednesday night.

Julius Lee Gillespie was charged by the Fayetteville Police Department with indecent liberties with a child and two counts of unlawful on a protective premises, according to jail records. He is being held in the Bladen County Jail.

By: Charlotte Smith

Earlier this year, ATM Skimmers were found on a few ATM machines in Bladen County. Recently, more ATM Skimmers have been found in New Hanover County according to Chief Chris Hunt with the Bladenboro Police Department.

Chief Hunt said he wants to remind folks to be aware of their surroundings during this holiday season and remember these 10 important tips when using an ATM card.

1. Look! When you use an ATM machine look around the machine. Scammers who glue skimmers onto an ATM will also place a hidden camera pointed at the ATM’s keyboard, or PIN pad, to record bank customers entering their PINs.
2. Cover! When typing in your ATM pin number, cover the key pad with your opposite hand. It doesn’t matter if you are at the ATM machine or if you are in a store. “These scammers do this for a living,” Hunt said. “They are good at watching for your code.”
3. Watch out for plastic covers. Some ATM machines may have a flexible piece of circuit-embedded plastic that fits perfectly over the ATM’s genuine PIN pad.
4. Jiggle the card reader at the ATM machine. If the reader is loose or moves, contact the bank and don’t use the machine.
5. Be selective about using your card. Try not to use your debt card online. Try to use ATM machines in well lit, high traffic locations.
6. Don’t use your pin. Use your debt card as a credit card and sign for purchases.
7. Don’t Save! Don’t save your credit card and passwords on your computer for automatic use.
8. Sign up. Your bank should offer alerts for low account balances. Sign up for these offers.
9. Track your bank balances daily. If you see something suspicious contact your bank immediately.
10. Tell! If you see something, say something. If you notice someone tampering with an ATM machine, report them. If you notice transactions on your bank statement you did not make, contact your bank and law enforcement to file a report. If your identity was stolen, most the times the bank will refund your money according to Hunt.

One person was arrested by Bladen County officers on Christmas Eve and is facing several drug-related charges in Cumberland County.

Earl Everitte was arrested in Bladen County and is currently being held in the Cumberland County Jail on charges of felony possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver a controlled substance; felony trafficking opium, felony trafficking opium or heroin, two counts of misdemeanor possession/sell nontax PD alcohol beverages, one count of misdemeanor possession/sell of nontax PF alcohol.

Sheriff James A. McVicker announced the arrest today of Johnny Lee Smith Jr, 43, of 66 Waddell Smith Road, Clarkton, after he was caught breaking into a home of Ronald Britt Road near Bladenboro on Wednesday.

McVicker said deputies stopped Smith on NC 211 as he fled the scene of the crime. The homeowner, Bridgett Renee Montgomery, 29, returned to her home on Ronald Britt Road after going to the store. When she arrived home she found her back door open and a car in the yard she did not recognize. On entry, she confronted Smith as he came out of her bedroom with jewelry in his hand.

Montgomery drew a handgun and held Smith at gunpoint as she attempted to call 911. Smith managed to push past her and get to his vehicle and flee the scene. Montgomery gave 911 dispatchers a description of the vehicle and deputies stopped him less than five miles from the scene. They recovered stolen property in the vehicle.

Smith was placed in Bladen County Jail under a $7,650 secured bond. He was charged with Felonious Breaking and Entering, Felonious Larceny, Felonious Possession of Stolen Goods and Injury to Personal Property for the home robbery. Smith was also served outstanding warrants for failure to appear on child support charges.

“I hate that any citizen has to come home to find someone stealing their hard earned possessions,” said McVicker. “In this case I am glad this brave woman was not hurt and had the composure to give us a good description of the suspect and his vehicle. We were fortunate to have a deputy in the area who was able to catch up with Smith and stop him. I am proud of the homeowner and I am proud of the deputies who responded and made the arrest.”

McVicker said Smith was also being investigated as a suspect in other recent breaking and entering cases in the county.

UPDATE: A $10,000 REWARD IS NOW BEING OFFERED BY THE FAMILY FOR THE DIRECT LOCATION OF COLE THOMAS.

UPDATE: On Friday, November 25, 2016 at approximately 3:00 AM, a Missing Person was reported to the Benson Police Department. Two acquaintances of the subject, whom they identified as Christopher Cole Thomas, stated to officers that they had been traveling on Interstate 40, heading to Durham, and had exited off the interstate and had come into Benson. As they were traveling through a residential area, North Elm Street and East Morgan Street, the driver, Thomas, suddenly stopped the vehicle and jumped out, and ran away. The passengers attempted to find him, but were unable to, so they reported the incident to the Police Department.

Over the last several days, extensive efforts have been made by the Benson Police Department to contact and/or locate Christopher Cole Thomas, but to date, there have been no confirmed sightings of him, and he has not contacted his acquaintances, his employer, or his family, so his current whereabouts are unknown.

Anyone who may have seen him, or who may have information regarding his location, is encouraged to contact Chief Kenneth Edwards or Captain Greg Percy at the Benson Police Department, at 919-894-2091. Information may also be emailed to the Police Department, using crimeline@bensonpd.org.

MISSING FROM BENSON, NC

Cole Thomas, 22, has been missing since Friday, November 25, 2016. He resides in Florida, but was working in the area of Pine Island, MN when he unexpectedly travelled to North Carolina. He may have travelled to the areas of Benson and Goldsboro, NC. Cole is described as 6’1” tall, 200 pounds with blonde hair. Anyone with information regarding Cole’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Benson Police Department at 919-894-2091.

#ColeThomas #Goldsboro #MissingInNC #MissingPiecesNetwork
Help Save The Next Girl ABC11 WTVD WNCN Goldsboro Daily NewsGoldsboro News-Argus WITN-TV

An Elizabethtown man who exchanged gunfire with two law enforcement officers in February was sentenced up to 19 years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to two counts of attempted murder and one count of assault on a law enforcement officer.

Dennis Windell Marshall, 30, entered an Alford plea in Bladen County Superior Court under an agreement with the state. An Alford plea allows a defendant to plead guilty because it’s in their best interest, but not admit guilt to the charges. Judge Mary Ann Tally accepted the agreement for Marshall to serve no less than 180 months with a maximum of 228 months in custody.

The incident began at 1 a.m. Feb. 13 when Bladen County Sheriff’s Deputy David A. Schmale Jr. initiated a traffic stop near the intersection of Poplar Street and King Street in front of Anderson’s Drug Store in Elizabethtown after observing Marshall’s Ford Explorer run a traffic light, according to a court summary.

During the stop, Schmale learned that Marshall was wanted in another jurisdiction for failing to appear on a possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver a Schedule VI controlled substance (marijuana). Schmale attempted to arrest Marshall, but a struggle ensued, according to authorities.

Marshall was able to free himself from Schmale and get a handgun by reaching through the driver’s side window of his Explorer. As the two fought over control of the weapon, Elizabethtown police Officer Blake Bryan appeared on scene. As Bryan was approaching the altercation, Marshall gained control of the weapon and fired at Bryan, just missing the officer, according to a court summary. Both officers immediately returned fire, striking Marshall multiple times.

In March, District Attorney Jon David announced that his office had determined that law enforcement officers were “justified” in the use of deadly force in shooting and injuring Marshall during the traffic stop.

Sheriff James A. McVicker is requesting the public’s assistance in locating a missing person.

The family of Dean Anthony Clark Jr., reported him missing on December 30, 2016. Clark has not been seen or heard from since early November 2016.

According to the father, Dean Clark Sr., he was in weekly phone contact with his son but has not been able to locate him since November.

Clark was last known to be living in the Council area of Bladen County but should be considered homeless. He is known to frequent Clarkton, Whiteville and Lumberton.

Clark is a black male, 32 years of age, medium complexion, black hair, brown eyes, with some facial hair.  He is 5 foot 10 inches tall and weighs 190 pounds. Clark was last seen wearing a black jacket and flowered pajama bottom pants.

The family has been concerned recently with his mental health and is asking if anyone has seen or knows the whereabouts of Dean Anthony Clark Jr. that they immediately contact the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office at 910-862-6960.

The Bladen County Sheriff’s Office arrested one man during which a struggle ensued leaving deputies and the man with minor injuries. 

“We received information that a wanted individual was being brought through our county by a family member en-route to Sanford,” said Chief Deputy Larry Guyton. Deputies obtained a description of the vehicle and waited for it in Clarkton.

“When they saw the vehicle, they did a felony vehicle stop and got Divine Walden, age 22, of 818 Farmers Union Road, Clarkton, out of the vehicle. When they placed him under arrest he began to fight the deputies,” said Guyton.

After a brief struggle Walden was handcuffed and subdued. Walden was treated at Bladen County Hospital for cuts and scrapes. Deputies Jason Andrews and Reese Daniels were also treated for minor injuries and released, according to Guyton.

Walden was served with felony warrants from Durham County for failure to appear on charges of identity theft, receiving stolen goods, financial card theft, and obtaining property by false pretense. He was also served with two felony warrants from Columbus County for felonious breaking and entering and felonious larceny and misdemeanor warrants from Columbus County for failure to appear on speeding and driving while license revoked. He was also charged in Bladen County with two counts of resisting a public officer and two counts of assault on a government official. His bond was set at $83,000.00 secured.

Officers Joshua Pittman and Melanie Avant of the Elizabethtown Police Department along with Bladen County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to 2808 West Broad Street on January 01, 2017 at 3:55 a.m. in reference to a shots fired call. Upon their arrival they made contact with the residents Brandon and Allison Jones.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Jones advised that they were having a New Year’s Eve party and that an argument had broken out between them and some guests. The conflict escalated and became physical, according to Lt. D. Cheshire. During the altercation a handgun was discharged several times inside and outside of the residence in an attempt to break up the fight.

The scene was processed by Elizabethtown officers and investigators. Upon searching and processing the scene officers located the firearm that was discharged along with a felony amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the residence.

Brandon Lee Jones was charged with Felony Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Discharging a firearm in the city limits.

Allison Nicole Jones was also charged with Discharging a firearm in the city limits.

This matter is still being investigated and more assault and property damage charges may be forthcoming. No one was injured as a result of the gunfire.

WhiteLake Bust2

WhiteLake bust

White Lake police have charged Shawn David Myers 33, of Tiltonsville, OH with possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

White Lake police officers responded to a medical call at Brisson’s Cottages Tuesday, January 3, 2017 while officers were assisting EMS workers they smelled the odor of marijuana in the area, officers were not able to determine the location of the marijuana at that time.

  After receiving multiple complaints from concerned citizens over the next day about the offender approaching them asking if they wanted to smoke marijuana with him and the offender entering local business with a strong odor of marijuana emitting from his person the White Lake police with assistance of the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office went to Brission’s Cottages located at 1770 White Lake Drive on the morning of January 5, 2017. 

Officers went to the motel room the offender was staying they again smelled the odor of marijuana. Officers knocked on the door and when opened by Myers the odor became stronger. Myers was told by officers they were there because of the odor of marijuana coming from his room and ask if there was any marijuana in his room. Myers told the officers there was marijuana in his room along with marijuana paraphernalia. Myers gave consent to search his room where 18 grams of “medical grade” marijuana was found along with serval items of paraphernalia. Myers was cited and released.

“As a law enforcement officer it is a good feeling to know you work in a community where the citizens and law enforcement have a bond like they do in White Lake, our citizens are always on the lookout for suspicious activity are not going to let their quality of life be compromised.”

If you are receiving email alerts from FedEx, be aware it could contain a potential virus threat.

According to FedEx.com, there are fraudulent emails being sent to unsuspecting businesses and citizens announcing that FedEx has either attempted to deliver or has delivered a package and they need to download an attached document.  According to FedEx.com, the attachment could contain a virus and advises recipients to delete the email without opening the attachment.

FedEx also says there is another version of the email that prompts the recipient to contact their office and gives a telephone to call. Once the caller makes contact, the scam artist will attempt to defraud the caller.  Again, FedEx, urges the recipient of such an email to delete the email with calling the prompted telephone number.

Don’t become a victim of a scam. Never give out any personal information over the telephone or through email. If you think you may have received a fraudulent email regarding FEdEx, the company requests you forward any suspicious emails to abuse@fedex.com.

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Chris Coons (D-DE), both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, authored an op-ed on CNN.com about the urgent need for bipartisan criminal justice reform.

Read the full op-ed below:

CNN: America’s criminal justice system is broken

By Chris Coons and Thom Tillis

As a Democrat from Delaware and a Republican from North Carolina, we disagree on plenty of policy issues. You might think that would be especially true of an issue as historically divisive and politically challenging as crime and punishment.

That’s not the case. We share a strong belief that America’s criminal justice system is broken, focusing far too much on criminalization and incarceration and far too little on rehabilitation.

A compelling example of the urgent need for reform is how our system treats juvenile offenders. We know that young people’s relationship with the criminal justice apparatus has powerful, lasting consequences for them, their families, and their communities. It is therefore vitally important we make sure that all children who come into contact with the criminal justice system are treated fairly and appropriately, are not forgotten, and are afforded an opportunity to rehabilitate and become productive, contributing members of society.

Our agreement on this issue was on display late last year at a juvenile justice summit, where we shared the stage for a discussion on a key challenge facing our country: a criminal justice system that over-emphasizes incarceration and is woefully inadequate when it comes to rehabilitation, even for our nation’s youth.

Men and women in law enforcement work hard to protect our communities across the country. As legislators, we must be committed to developing a criminal justice system that effectively promotes public safety, fairness, and rehabilitation. We believe Congress has both a moral and a fiscal imperative to ensure that our criminal justice system appropriately calibrates sentences to offenses. That is being smart on crime, not soft on crime.

Despite political disagreements in Congress on a broader criminal justice reform package — disagreements we hope to move past next year — Democrats and Republicans surely can agree that children shouldn’t be locked in a solitary confinement cell for 23 hours a day, or housed with other prisoners twice their age and size, or unnecessarily restrained and shackled for minor infractions, or harshly punished for low-level, nonviolent offenses.

Surely we can agree that juveniles’ interactions with the judicial system shouldn’t be just about punishment, but instead must also focus on understanding the impacts of what they have done and why it was wrong. A system that focuses on rehabilitation, not punishment, doesn’t excuse bad behavior. Rather, it helps all parties heal and move forward, and it keeps all of us safer by breaking cycles of recidivism.

We both recognize that this system is in desperate need of reform. We share a frustration that some politicians in both parties have been too willing to put politics before policy. We also share a belief that our home states offer a road map forward.

In North Carolina, several reforms have been made in recent years, including allowing a juvenile’s criminal record to be expunged of non-violent offenses, limiting detention for certain offenses, and requiring a parent, guardian, or attorney to be present during police interrogations of any child under the age of 16.

In Delaware, this year alone, the state legislature passed laws to expand the use of civil citations instead of criminal charges, to end shackling of youth except where it’s necessary for safety, to provide free legal representation to all children charged with a crime, and to make it easier for juveniles to expunge their records.

We’ve seen some progress at the national level. President Barack Obama rightly acted to end solitary confinement for juveniles in federal prisons. The Supreme Court ruled that it is cruel and unusual to sentence juveniles to the death penalty or to a mandatory sentence of death in prison.

Here in Congress, the Senate Judiciary Committee, on which we both serve, passed the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act on a bipartisan 15-5 vote. Among its many provisions, the bill would limit solitary confinement for juveniles in federal custody. More broadly, it would begin to address the imbalance between incarceration and rehabilitation to reconstitute families, save taxpayer dollars, and restore fairness to our criminal justice system. It achieves this without harming the integrity of public safety as prison sentences would only be recalibrated for certain nonviolent offenders and would require careful judicial oversight.

In Leviticus 19, the Lord urges Moses, “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” We do a great disservice to our nation’s future when we do not judge children fairly or treat them justly.

For the many Americans disillusioned by Washington, consider that support for smart and sensible reforms to our juvenile justice and criminal justice systems is slowly but surely gaining traction across party lines. In the year ahead, we will both remain committed to casting partisan politics aside in order to get these commonsense proposals passed through Congress and signed into law.