Philip D. Brown

Richmond County Daily Journal

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has charged a Hamlet man with possession of a stolen motor vehicle after a motorcycle he reported stolen in April was found to be stolen from another county resident nearly three years ago.

Ben Murphy, 36, of McGirt Road in Hamlet, is charged with felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle and misdemeanor filing a false report of a stolen vehicle.

He was released on a written promise to appear in court.

According to incident and arrest reports, Murphy reported a blue 1993 Suzuki stolen on April 28. A motorcycle fitting the same description was reported stolen from County Home Road in Rockingham in 2007.

In another case of alleged theft, a Hamlet man and a Southern Pines man have been accused of breaking into a home on Stokes Road in Rockingham on May 19.

Donald Buckley-Calhoun, 22, of James Creek Road in Southern Pines, and Tristan Johnson, 22, of Atkinson Street in Hamlet, are both charged with felony counts of breaking and entering, larceny and obtaining property by false pretense.

Both received a bond of $5,000.

According to an incident report, an air conditioner unit, a cross cut saw, a chain saw, two arrowheads and assorted weights were stolen in the break-in. The items were valued at about $750.

Other arrests reported by the RCSO include:

n Darmario “Mario” Nicholson, 21, of Robinson Avenue in Ellerbe, was arrested and charged with felony counts of first-degree kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.

He was given a bond of $25,000.

According to arrest reports, Nicholson allegedly beat a woman about the head and face with a small-caliber handgun.

n Ralph Davis, 66, Benji Road in Rockingham, was arrested and charged with felony counts of manufacturing marijuana and maintaining a vehicle to keep controlled substances. He was released on a written promise to appear in court.

According to arrest reports, the vehicle was stopped and 31 marijuana plants were found growing in a bucket inside it.

n John Wilson, 30, of Crawford Road in Ellerbe, was arrested and charged with manufacturing marijuana.

According to arrest reports, a search warrant was served on his home and five marijuana plants were discovered growing in his back yard.

n Christopher Cooke, 23, and Heather Cook, 22, both of Pleasant Hill Church Road in Ellerbe, were arrested and charged with felony counts of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and maintaining a dwelling to keep marijuana.

According to arrest reports, 84 grams of marijuana were seized from their home when a search warrant was served on it.

Arrest reports published in the Richmond County Daily Journal are copied from local law enforcement records. Except for people injured in motor vehicle accidents or reportable deaths, victims including people, businesses and institutions and their addresses are not included as a matter of newspaper policy. Reports include both arrests and criminal summons such as citations. The Daily Journal lists them all as arrests. People charged are presumed innocent until determined to be guilty by a court of law.

Staff Writer Philip D. Brown can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 32, or by e-mail at pbrown@yourdailyjournal.com.