RICHMOND COUNTY — A Rockingham man was arrested Sunday after a traffic stop led to multiple weapons-related charges, according to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.
At about 11:13 a.m., a deputy patrolling Airport Road near Entwistle Third Street in East Rockingham observed a tan Chevrolet Tahoe speeding away from Stillwell Street. The deputy recorded the vehicle traveling 50 mph in a posted 35 mph zone using radar.
The driver, Robert Gray Gainey, 48, was found to have a suspended driver’s license and an active arrest warrant. While deputies were issuing citations, a backup deputy asked Gainey to step out of the vehicle.
After Gainey was arrested and handcuffed, deputies reported finding a short single-barreled shotgun between the driver’s seat and center console within his reach. During the investigation, deputies also noted the firearm’s serial number appeared to have been filed off and that the weapon was loaded.
Gainey was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a weapon of mass destruction, altering or removing a gun serial number, carrying a concealed gun and an outstanding order for arrest related to traffic offenses. He was booked into the Richmond County Jail under a $35,250 secured bond. His next court date is scheduled for March 26, 2026.
In a separate case, financial crimes investigators arrested a Raeford man in connection with an investigation that began in 2024 after a victim reported a package was never delivered.
According to officials, on Sept. 10, 2024, at about 11:58 a.m., Tyrone Davarius Hawkins, 24, who was working as a FedEx driver at the time, arrived at the victim’s property but did not exit his vehicle or deliver the package. Officials said Hawkins left shortly afterward, and the victim later received a notification stating the package had been delivered and signed for. The victim was at work at the time and reported not receiving or signing for the package.
On Oct. 1, 2024, a firearm was scheduled for delivery to a local pawn shop. Video footage reviewed by investigators showed Hawkins, driving a FedEx truck, stopping beside the pawn shop at about 12:05 p.m. before leaving the area. About a minute later, the pawn shop employee received a notification stating the firearm had been delivered, according to officials.
Following an investigation, the Financial Crimes Unit obtained arrest warrants for Hawkins in 2025. He was charged with larceny of a firearm, obtaining property by false pretenses, uttering forged instruments and misdemeanor larceny.
On March 5, 2026, Hawkins turned himself in and was booked into the Richmond County Jail on a $25,000 unsecured bond. His court date is scheduled for March 26, 2026.