ROCKINGHAM — Three Richmond County residents were arrested Friday in connection with the alleged theft of copper wire from MN8 Energy, a solar farm on County Home Road last month, resulting in approximately $30,000 in property damage.
According to a media release issued by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the agency’s Property Crimes Unit “has been actively investigating a series of similar incidents targeting solar farms across Richmond County” for the past several months.
Roger Dale “Trey” Gathings, 39, of Hamlet, is charged with felony conspiracy to commit larceny of nonferrous metals, felony possession of stolen property, felony injury to an energy facility and first-degree trespass to infrastructure. He received a combined secured bond of $55,000.
Christopher Neil Heflin, 45, of Hamlet, is charged with three counts of felony injury to property involving nonferrous metal, three counts of felony possession of stolen property, felony conspiracy to commit larceny of nonferrous metals greater than or equal to $10,000, felony injury to an energy facility and first-degree trespass to infrastructure. He was denied bond under the Pretrial Integrity Act because he was out on bond for previous charges.
Savannah Angie Sue Mills, 28, of Cordova, is charged with felony obtaining property by false pretense and felony possession of stolen property. She was also denied bond under the Pretrial Integrity Act because she was out on bond for prior charges.
Arrest warrants allege Gathings and Heflin cut copper wire from the site March 28, with Heflin returning April 1 and April 6. Additional warrants allege the two conspired to cut wires April 1.
Gathings and Heflin made their first court appearances April 13. Mills is scheduled to appear in court April 16.
“Further arrests are anticipated as the investigation continues,” read the release issued by the RCSO.