ROCKINGHAM — Two men were charged Monday by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, accused of selling morphine.
Michael Anthony Murchison Sr., 28, of Ghio Road, Hamlet, has been charged with: selling and delivering morphine; two counts of possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver a total of 12 and 27 (39 total) morphine pills; and maintaining a vehicle to be used in keeping and selling morphine, according to court documents.
James Thomas Griggs Jr., 45, of Wiregrass Rd, Rockingham, has been charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver 27 morphine pills and maintaining a vehicle to be used in keeping and selling morphine, arrest warrants show.
Morphine is a powerful opiate intended to treat moderate to severe pain.
Both men were booked into the Richmond County jail, Murchison on $20,000 bond and Griggs on a $15,000 bond. It is not clear whether the two men were arrested at the same time, though the amount of pills that drew one of Murchison’s possession charges matched that of Griggs, and the descriptions of the vehicles used in selling the pills were similar.
Both men are set for Sept. 7 court dates.
Murchison served two years in prison in 2009 following a two instances of felony breaking and entering and larceny charges, according to online records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction.
Griggs served a month and a half in prison in 2008 for two misdemeanor counts of common law forgery, state records show.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Reach Gavin Stone at 910-817-2674.
