GREENVILLE – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that in federal court today, Senior United States District Judge Malcolm J. Howard sentenced William Edwardson Jr., 56, of Jacksonville, to 72 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.  The Court also ordered Edwardian to register as a sex offender.

Edwardson was named in an Indictment filed on September 2, 2015.  On January 11, 2016, Edwardson pled guilty to one count of Receipt of Child Pornography.

At the time of his indictment, Edwardson was a teacher and soccer coach at Trexler Middle School in Richlands.

In January 2015, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation identified an IP address downloading and sharing child pornography via a peer-to-peer network using the Shareaza law enforcement software program.  As the investigation progressed, the address and user were identified as Edwardson.  On February 6, 2015, a search warrant was executed at Edwardson’s residence in Jacksonville and a laptop computer and two thumb drives were seized. Forensic examination of the defendant’s computer revealed 424 images and 51 videos containing CP.  Edwardson was interviewed and admitted to downloading visual depictions of minor children engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the NC State Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Ethan Ontjes represented the government.  This case was accepted for federal prosecution as part of Project Safe Childhood.

Building collapse has been reported in Bladen County. According to Emergency Services Director, Bradley Kinlaw, chicken houses belonging to Turnbull Farm on Turnbull Drive in Bladen County have collapse due to straight line wind.

There were four chicken houses that appear to be damaged, but no chickens seem to be injured.

No person was reported injured.

By Erin Smith

A motorcycle rider took a spill on Monday morning on Autry Road in Clarkton.

NC Highway Patrol Trooper R. L. Walker said that the rider, Anthony Randolph Robinson of Dublin, was operating a 1993 Honda motorcycle on Autry Road. Robinson ran off the road to the right, struck a ditch, rolled over and he was ejected from the bike.

Trooper Walker said Robinson was wearing a NC Department of Transportation approved motorcycle helmet with a face shield.

Robinson will be charged with a lane control violation and an endorsement violation, said Trooper Walker.

Robinson was transported to Cape Fear Valley-Bladen Healthcare by Bladen County EMS.

By: Erin Smith

A Bladen County resident filed a report with the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday about someone throwing out KKK recruitment fliers in the Tobermory area of Bladen County.

Bladen County Sheriff’s Office Major Larry Guyton said, “Someone threw out a ziplock bag with rocks in it.”

He said in addition to the rocks, the bag also contained a recruitment flier with a number to call to join the Royal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.

Major Guyton said the incident took place on Bladen Union Church Road. According to Guyton, Brunswick County and Cumberland County have also had reports of similar incidents.

For more than two years since being charged with 17 offenses, including nine sex-related charges involving children, Stevie Earl Bullard Jr. has had three lawyers withdraw from his case, another attempt to withdraw, attempted to have an assistant district attorney fired, claimed “sovereign citizens rights” during more than one court appearance, and, Monday morning, appeared headed to trial in Bladen County Superior Court.

By Monday afternoon, the 31-year-old man from Red Springs agreed to a plea agreement with the state and was sentenced to a minimum of 25 years and a maximum of 35 years in custody by Judge James M. Webb. Bullard plead guilty to first degre sex offense on a child and attempted first degree rape.

Bullard had been charged with two counts of first degree rape of a child, six counts of first degree sex offense with a child, one count of attempted first degree rape, six counts of possession of a weapon by a prisoner, one count of threatening a court officer and one count of injury to personal property. The charge of threatening a court officer was dismissed Monday morning.

Before agreeing to the plea offer, Bullard’s lawyer, Danny Britt of Lumberton, asked Webb to be allowed to withdraw from the case because his client would not talk to him about the case. Webb denied the request and ruled that jury selection would begin Monday afternoon following the lunch break.

Britt’s request came about a month after Bullard had requested during a hear before Judge W. Douglas Parson that Britt be removed, a different prosecutor be assigned to replace assistant District Attorney Glenn Emery and a change of venue. All requests were denied.

Bullard was arrested Jan. 16, 2014, after the mother of the two alleged victims, who are sisters, reported the abuse to law enforcement. Bullard knew the mother and the girls.

According to Wikipedia, sovereign citizens believe they are answerable only to their particular interpretation of common law and not subject to any statutes or proceedings at the federal, state or municipal levels.

Harold Lee Strickland Jr. was sentenced to a minimum of 33 months and a maximum of 49 months in state custody Monday in Bladen County Superior Court under an Alford plea on two counts of indecent liberties with a child.

Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt to the charges, but admits that evidence exists that may result in a judge or jury reaching a guilty verdict beyond a reasonable doubt if the case had gone to trial.

Judge James M. Webb also ordered Strickland to have no contact with the victims for the rest of his life and, upon release form custody, register as a sex offender for 30 years.

Strickland, who is 44 years old, was arrested March 31, 2015, in Wilmington on three counts of indecent liberties with a child and one count of first degree rape of a child. Both girls were eight years old at the time of incidents in 2010, assistant District Attorney Glenn Emery told the court.

In Emery’s court summary of the charges, he said that Strickland committed sex acts with the two victims in 2010. In both instances, Strickland were alone with the girls, pulled their pants and his pants down, and pressed against the girls.

Emery also read statements from one of the victims and her mother about how the incidents had affected their lives.

Strickland showed no emotion during the hearing.

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RicoRoad

By: Erin Smith

A two vehicle crash on Rico Road reduced the highway to one lane for a period on Thursday morning.

NC Highway Patrol Trooper Weissinger said that Charles Glenn Todd of Bladenboro was backing his pick-up truck down Rico Road and struck the front of a Kia traveling southbound. The Kia was being operated by Emily Elkins of Clarkton.

Todd was charged with a safe movement violation, according to Trooper Weissinger.  Elkins was transported by Bladen County EMS to Cape Fear Valley-Bladen Healthcare.

Responding to the scene were Clarkton Fire Department, NC Highway Patrol and Bladen County EMS.

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Sheriff James A. McVicker and North Carolina Highway Patrol First Sergeant Matt Hardee released information on a large drug and cash seizure that originated from a traffic checking station.

Sheriff McVicker said Trooper Jeremy Freeman requested the assistance of the Sheriff’s office when a man tried to evade a license checking station on Highway 242 near Guyton Road Wednesday July 20th. Houston Juinus Smith, 25, of 201 Freeman Farm Road, Clarkton, turned around when he saw the checking station.

Trooper Freeman was able to overtake Smith and initiate a traffic stop. While conducting the stop Freeman learned of outstanding warrants on Smith and requested the assistance of the Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Daniel Clark and his K-9 partner Jaxx, responded. While Trooper Freeman conducted his stop Deputy Clark walked Jaxx around the vehicle and his dog “alerted’ on the vehicle giving the officers probable cause to search.

A subsequent search uncovered 315.9 grams of marijuana, 10 grams of crack cocaine an $1,001.00 in US currency. Smith was arrested on the outstanding warrants and also charged with Felony Possession of Schedule II Controlled Substance (Cocaine) and Felony Possession of Schedule VI Controlled Substance (Marijuana). He was further charged with Possession With Intent To Sell and Deliver Marijuana, Manufacturing Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Smith’s bond was set at $39,000.00 secured.

“I am very proud of the interagency cooperation in Bladen,” said McVicker. “It really is a group effort to make our streets and communities safer. Our new K-9 Jaxx was bought with donations from citizens at no cost to the taxpayers. As you can see, he was a good investment and I am sure there are many more drug busts ahead for Jaxx and Deputy Clark.”

A crash on NC 41 East near Bay Tree Lakes resulted in a fatality on Sunday night.

According to NC Highway Patrol Trooper Townsend, a 1998 Honda being operated by Patsy Long McLaney of Harrells was traveling eastbound on NC 41 when her vehicle traveled left of the center line and and struck a Subaru operated by Thomas Mei-Jon-Ruan of Whiteville. Trooper Townsend said the vehicles then traveled out of the roadway to the right and into a ditch.

McLaney was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Trooper Townsend.

Mei-Jon-Ruan was airlifted to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington for treatment of his injuries.

Ms. McLaney is survived by two sons, Corey McLaney, Joseph McLaney, both of Elizabethtown; three sisters, Dotty Long, Winnie Lewis of Harrells, Kim Johnson of Elizabethtown; one brother, Donnie Long of Harrells; and four grandchildren. 

Arrangements are as follows:

A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 27, 2016 at Riverside Baptist Church Cemetery by the Reverend Scott Conner. The family will receive friends at Riverside Baptist Church fellowship hall after the service.

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Alcohol

Sheriff James A. McVicker said today that a joint operation between the Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina Alcohol Enforcement Division and North Carolina Highway Patrol over the weekend resulted in the confiscation of a large amount of alcohol and cocaine.

McVicker said officers executed a search warrant at 115 Robin Dr , off Owen Hill Road near Dublin,  also known as “Club Many Things”. The search warrant was a result of citizen complaints in the area for large parties, alcohol sales and drug use.  During the search Agents seized several coolers with beer and several bottles of Liquor as well as cocaine.

Reginald Tatum, 34, of 115 Robin Drive was charged with Felony Possession of Cocaine and Possession With Intent to Sell Alcohol without a permit.

His bond was set at $50,000 secured.

By: Charlotte Smith

In today’s world it is hard to trust strangers on the other end of your phone line. According to Chief Chris Hunt with the Bladenboro Police Department, Bladen County residents have received phone calls from scammers claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service, otherwise known as the IRS, only to find out the calls were from scammers.

The IRS scammers try to create a sense of urgency for the person receiving the call, they make threats of having a person arrested, and have several techniques to try and make the situation seem as though the scammer calling is really from the IRS, according to Hunt.

Hunt listed some of the techniques the scammers use to con people into giving them money over the telephone. The scammers mask their number making it appear the call is really coming from the IRS when it is shown on the caller ID. Other approaches used by the scammers are the posing IRS representative will send an email or try to transfer your call to another person to make the call you received seem legitimate.

The con-artists make such a convincing case, when law enforcement tells the resident the call was a scam, residents don’t trust law enforcement right away.

Hunt wanted to give some pointers of what the official IRS will never do to tax payers. They are as follows:

1.The IRS will never demand payment without giving you a chance to appeal what they say you owe in taxes.

2. The IRS will never require you to make payments with a pre-paid debit card.

3. The IRS will never threaten to bring law enforcement to arrest you .

4. The IRS will always send certified letters you have to sign to receive about any monies you may owe them.

5. If you have questions about an IRS bill, visit IRS.gov.

6. Never give your personal information out over the telephone.

Katie Galyean

Prescription drug abuse is becoming a major problem in both rural and urban North Carolina. Bladen Online is taking a closer look at prescription drug abuse in Bladen County. This is the final installment in a series of stories more closely examining the issue.

According to Investigator Richard Allen of the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office, prescription drug abuse is currently the biggest problem in Bladen County.

“I’ve been working [narcotics] for about six years and our main focus most of that time has been prescription pills,” said Allen.

Both Allen and Elizabethtown Police Department’s Criminal Investigator Dewayne Cheshire said narcotics are the motivation behind many other crimes like break-ins and robberies.

“I would say probably 85 percent of the break-ins that we have are drug related,” said Allen. He said the addicts will typically steal equipment like chainsaws or weed eaters and take them to their dealer to trade in for drugs. 

Allen also said many people will steal the elderly’s prescriptions. “We have had people who would pick up 5 or 6 elderly people and take them to the doctor and pay for their visit and for their prescription and then sell their pills,” he said.

Cheshire said while it started out as a big deal amongst mainly the middle class families and people with no criminal background, the prescription drug problem is starting to show up in gang-related activities.

“In the past year, one of the things we have seen is the prescription meds are starting to migrate over to the gangs. The way they look at it, they don’t care if you are hooked on marijuana, cocaine, oxycodone or Percocets, they are seeing that there is a market there for that. So we are seeing a lot of that starting to be sold by, for lack of a better term, your street pharmacists,” said Cheshire. 

Cheshire also said there has been a definite rise in doctor shopping and stealing prescription pads so that forged prescriptions can be written and taken to the pharmacist.

“When they are hooked on these pills, they are building up a tolerance to them. So they keep taking more, but not only are they taking more, they are selling what they don’t take,” said Cheshire.

Cheshire theorized the reason many people turn to prescription medications is there is not as much of a stigma around prescription drugs verses recreational drugs.

“We take a pill today for everything. You get indigestion, you take a pill. You get a headache, you take a pill. It’s one thing to snort a line of cocaine or smoke a crack pipe or shoot up some heroin, but when you take a pill, people don’t really think too much about that,” Cheshire said.

Allen said many people end up switching from prescription pills to heroin. “People are starting to transition from pills to heroin because they can get the same fix from heroin for like $15 where it’ll cost them $30 to $40 in pills.”

Allen encouraged residents of Bladen County to write down their serial numbers off of equipment.  “They really need to take their serial numbers down for their property like their guns and their chainsaws and their weed eaters because the serial number helps us get their property back [to them],” said Allen.

Allen and Cheshire both strongly cautioned young people to be vigilant about being aware of what is going on around them and knowing what exactly they are putting into their bodies when it comes to prescription drugs.

“I’ve told [my daughter] this a lot, if you are anywhere, whether it be at a gathering or a function or whatever, never take any medication from anybody because you never know what people are giving you and how it will react with your system,” said Cheshire.

“As far as parents go, they need to watch out for anything that changes with their children,” said Allen.

Some of these changes can include hanging out with a different crowd of people, having money that cannot be explained, mood changes, failing their classes and not showing up for work or other responsibilities.

Allen said the main thing is to make sure you do not encourage or feed a loved one’s addiction. “If they have someone in their family who is using pills, then they need to cut them off and quit giving them money to enable and support their habit,” he said.

You can call 910-874-8124 or 910-874-8125 if you know of a loved one who is doing drugs or if you suspect someone of dealing drugs to leave an anonymous tip.

“They can text or they can call to leave anonymous information if they suspect someone of dealing drugs,” said Allen. “If they have somebody in their family that we need to be looking out for [they can call as well], because we are also here to help,” he said.

For those who have unused prescriptions and are trying to determine how to dispose of them, the Elizabethtown Police Department has a medicine drop off bin that is available during normal business hours.  It was part of a grant Lt. Mark McMichael worked on a few years back.  The drop box is located inside of the Elizabethtown Town Hall near the Investigations division door.   It’s open to the public during normal business hours.  There are no requirements to use the box just walk in and place the medications in the box.

Prescription Drug Survey Results

Stevie Earl Bullard Jr. on Tuesday was ruled to be “capable and competent” to stand trial in July on 17 charges, including nine sex-related charges involving children.

The ruling by Superior Court Judge W. Douglas Parsons in Bladen County Superior Court came after a brief hearing where Bullard requested a new lawyer, a different prosecutor and a change of venue. Danny Britt is the third lawyer assigned to Bullard’s case since charges were filed in January 2014. Bullard requested Robeson County lawyer Troy A. Peters. Parsons denied the requests.

Bullard is charged with two counts of first degree rape of a child, six counts of first degree sex offense with a child, one count of attempted first degree rape, six counts of possession of a weapon by a prisoner, one count of threatening a court officer and one count of injury to personal property. His trial is scheduled to begin July 18 in Bladen County Superior Court.

Bullard was arrested Jan. 16, 2014, after the mother of the two alleged victims, who are sisters, reported the abuse to law enforcement.

As he was leaving the courtroom Tuesday, Bullard claimed “sovereign citizens rights” and called one of his former lawyers, Rob Davis, a liar, and complained to his other former lawyer, Goldston Womble, that he had spent only five minutes with him.

According to Wikipedia, sovereign citizens believe they are answerable only to their particular interpretation of common law and not subject to any statutes or proceedings at the federal, state or municipal levels.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Womble, who has practiced in Bladen County for about 40 years, and Davis, who has practiced in Bladen County for about 20 years, testified that during their time with Bullard that they had no concerns about him understanding the charges against him.

Assistant District Attorney Glenn Emery submitted a a recent evaluation performed by Dr. LaVonne Fox, who is the senior psychologist at Central Regional Hospital in Butner. In her report, Fox said that Bullard refused to cooperate and suggested he was malingering, which is a term used when a patient is intentionally falsely or exaggerating physical or psychological symptoms for personal gain. Fox said she was unable to give an opinion on Bullard’s evaluation based on the examination, but she said she reviewed a prior evaluation and found that Bullard’s IQ was in the average range.

On July 24th, 2016, LaSean Jones of Bladen County was taken into custody on charges of indecent liberties with a child and statutory rape of a child less than 15 years of age according to sources.

Jones is a 27 year old male weighing 210 pounds standing 5′ 6″ tall. He has black hair and eyes. More information will be provided as soon as it is available.

By Erin Smith

The search for a missing inner-tube rider at White Lake was suspended for a second day due to thunderstorms. Bladen County Assistant Coroner Kenneth Clark said the search will resume on Monday at 8 a.m.

According to reports, the missing tuber has been identified as Kendrick Lavor Dials, 36 of Florence, SC.  According to reports, his family is staying at a nearby hotel.

Clark said the 30-year-old man was riding on an inner tube with two other men when one rider fell off. He said the missing man went in to the water to assist the one who fell off the inner tube and has not been seen since.

Assisting in the search on Sunday afternoon was Cumberland County, Pender County, Robeson County, Bladen County Water Rescue, Lumberton, cadaver dogs and the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, and the NC Parks and Recreation.

By: Erin Smith

A high speed chase that began on NC 87 near Braddy Plantation Road ended on Robeson Street in Elizabethtown. According to the NC Highway Patrol First Sgt. M. Hardee, the driver of the car jumped and ran into the woods while the car rolled into the yard and struck a storage building at a private residence.

“We turned around on him for speeding. He stopped and when the Trooper approached the car, he ran,” said First Sgt. Hardee.

Trooper K. L. McVicker chased the vehicle from Braddy Plantation Road along NC 87 into Elizabethtown where the driver, Wesley Black of Fayetteville,  turned onto Robeson Street and pulled into the drive of a private residence. There he jumped from the car and ran into the woods. First Sgt. Hardee said Black left the vehicle running and in drive and it rolled into a storage building. 

First Sgt. Hardee said that when Black entered the woods, there is a steep hill there and Black fell off the hill. Trooper A. M. Russ and several deputies went into the woods after Black, said First Sgt. Hardee.

Trooper Russ and Black were transported to Cape Fear Valley-Bladen Healthcare for treatment of minor injuries, said First Sgt. Hardee.

Black is charged with felony speeding to elude arrest, careless and reckless driving, damage to property for the storage building, assault on a government official, hit and run, and impaired driving. Black’s vehicle was seized under the felony speeding to elude arrest law.

First Sgt. Hardee said Black has an outstanding warrant from Cumberland County for assault by pointing a gun.

The NC Highway Patrol was assisted by the Elizabethtown Police Department and the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office.

By: Erin Smith

A chase of a stolen vehicle that was initiated in Columbus County Deputies ended in Bladen County near Allen Priest Road about five miles past East Bladen High School on Tuesday afternoon.

According to NC Highway Patrol First Sgt. M. Hardee, the vehicle was stolen from Columbus County and the vehicle was spotted Tuesday afternoon in the vicinity of Whiteville High School. Columbus County law enforcement officials initiated the chase which traveled into Bladen County but NC Highway Patrol took over the chase on NC 87. Speeds during the chase reached over 100 miles per hour, said First Sgt. Hardee.

Sgt. D. Hilburn said the vehicle traveled from Columbus County to US 701 business to Mercer Mill Road and turned onto NC 87 East and was stopped near Allen Priest Road.

First Sgt. Hardee said that law enforcement officers performed a rolling roadblock and the vehicle ran into the back of a Highway Patrol cruiser and then ran off the roadway to the right and struck a ditch.

The driver of the vehicle, Ivey Dew of Boardman Road in Evergreen, was arrested and charged with DWI, failure to stop for blue lights and siren, felony speeding to elude arrest, driving 105 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone, reckless driving, damage to state property.

First Sgt. Hardee said Dew has an arrest warrant against her from Columbus County on the stolen vehicle and he expects there will also be more charges from Columbus County as well.

First Sgt. Hardee also said there was a male passenger in the vehicle but he was not charged in the incident.

Also assisting in the chase were the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office and Columbus County Sheriff’s Office. No injuries were reported.

Norris

marijuan seized

The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office Vice-Narcotics Unit completed a one year long investigation into the manufacturing of marijuana. This investigation originated from information gathered during a previous Vice-Narcotics Operation.

The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office Vice-Narcotics Detectives searched the property, including the residence of the defendant, in addition to an adjacent property. During the investigation, Vice-Narcotics Detectives discovered that the defendant was utilizing his resources to nourish marijuana plants he had sown on an adjacent property. Vice-Narcotics Detectives also located harvested marijuana plants inside of the defendant’s residence. The defendant was using his residence to cure the harvested product.

Thirty-four marijuana plants were seized during the search. The plants ranged in height from four feet to seven feet. The total weight of the marijuana from these plants was approximately six pounds. The marijuana being cured inside of the residence was also seized. The total weight of the cured marijuana was approximately five pounds. A total of eleven pounds of marijuana was seized from the defendant during the search.

On Wednesday, August 3, at the conclusion of the investigation, the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office Vice/Narcotics Detectives arrested one individual for the above offense. The suspect was processed at the Columbus County Law Enforcement Center with a $10,000 unsecured bond. He has been released from custody.

Arrested was Richard Lynn Norris of 956 Georgia Pacific Road in Whiteville. He was charged with one felony count of manufacturing a schedule VI controlled substance.

After months of work to restore the Dublin Scout Hut, Assistant Scout Master Tony Parnell arrived at the Hut on Friday afternoon to prepare for a work day and found the back door had been pried open.

Parnell said that upon entering the Scout Hut he found that a window air conditioning unit had been stolen. He said the window unit is stored inside the Scout Hut when it is not in use.  Parnell also said the back door was damaged during the break-in.

Parnell said he had traveled to the Scout Hut to prepare for a scheduled work day and was going to turn the air conditioning on when he found the Hut had been burglarized. Anyone with information can call the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office at 910-862-6960.

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A Bladenboro man died early Saturday morning after the vehicle he was driving hit a guardrail, struck a concrete barrier, then landed on an embarkment on U.S. 701 at Turnbull Creek Bridge.

Joseph Evander Russ, 28, of Oak Grove Church Road was pronounced dead at the scene, said Bladen County Coroner Hubert Kinlaw.

The investigation determined that Russ was traveling toward Elizabethtown on U.S. 701 South in a 2003 Jeep Cherokee shortly before 1 a.m. when the vehicle swerved to the right and hit a guardrail, then ricochetted to the left, crashing into a concrete barrier on the bridge and going over the barrier before landing on an embankment. Investigators aren’t sure what caused the accident, but it didn’t appear that Russ was speeding at the time.