Three men — two from Sampson and one from Wayne — are facing a slew of charges this week in connection with a series of vehicle thefts throughout several eastern North Carolina counties.
According to Sampson Sheriff’s Capt. Marcus Smith, Robert Ivon Drake, 31, of Clinton, Joshua Isaiah Hobbs, 24, of Pikeville, and Tyvon Malik Thompson, 21, of Turkey, were detained over the last two weeks and charged with a variety of charges linked to the thefts.
On Nov. 27, Sampson investigators arrested Thompson and served him warrants charging him with seven counts of felony larceny of a motor vehicle (Pitt County), one count of felony conspiracy (Pitt), one count of felony breaking and entering (Pitt).
One count of felony larceny after breaking and entering (Pitt), one count of felony safecracking (Pitt), one county felony possession of a stolen vehicle (Pitt), one county felony breaking and entering (Wake), and one count of felony larceny after
He was being jailed at the Sampson County Detention Centre on a $20,000 secured bond.
On Nov. 15, Hobbs was taken into custody and the following charges were levelled against him: one count misdemeanour simple possession of a Schedule IV Controlled Substance (Sampson), one count misdemeanour possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance (Sampson), one count misdemeanour possession of drug paraphernalia (Sampson), one count felony probation violation (Wayne), seven counts felony larceny of a motor vehicle (Pitt), one count felony conspiracy, one count felon
Hobbs is being jailed at the Sampson Detention Centre on a $126, 000 secured bond.
On November 14, Drake was arrested and charged with seven counts of felony larceny of a motor vehicle (Pitt), one count of felony conspiracy (Pitt).
One count of felony breaking and entering (Pitt), one count of felony larceny after breaking and entering (Pitt), one count of felony safecracking (Pitt), one county felony possession of a stolen vehicle (Pitt), and one count of felony possession of a motor vehicle (Sampson). He is at the Sampson Detention Centre on a $100,000 bond.
“Investigators have worked tirelessly with other agencies across North Carolina to locate and apprehend suspects related to these thefts,” stated Sampson Sheriff’s Capt. Marcus Smith.
He stated that the investigation is still ongoing and that other arrests may be made.
The three most recent arrests follow the arrest of Ellis Jachin Wilson, 27, of Jolivet Lane in Faison, in early November. On November 8, he became the first person charged in connection with the auto theft ring.
Officers nabbed Wilson at a home on Jackson Lane in Turkey after locating a stolen vehicle there.
According to reports, Wilson, who was inside the home at the time, was thought to be armed. The Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team (SERT) was dispatched to carry out the warrant.
A search of the home revealed numerous stolen items from other counties, including Sampson. Two automobiles from Raleigh and Pitt County dealerships were located among the items. The next morning, another stolen vehicle from Pitt County was discovered near Newton Grove.
The seven-month investigation into Wilson included 20 distinct auto thefts and larcenies throughout eight counties, which led detectives to the Jackson Lane address, according to reports.
Wilson was served with over 30 arrest warrants and is currently being jailed at the Sampson County Detention Centre on a $187,700.00 bond.
Wilson was charged with the following offences in Sampson County: one count misdemeanour failure to comply with monies owed, two counts felony breaking and entering, two counts felony larceny after breaking and entering.
Three counts felony possession of stolen goods, three counts misdemeanour possession of stolen goods, one count felony breaking and entering of a motor vehicle, one count felony larceny of a motor vehicle, one count of felony larceny, three counts felony
In early November, Smith stated that officers were actively investigating other Wilson-related instances and were working with state and local law enforcement organisations on them.
“Investigators have spent a lot of effort tracking these incidents and connecting them to Ellis. This arrest will help to bring closure to a number of thefts in Sampson County and other jurisdictions. “Investigators should be commended for their efforts in this extremely complex case, and we are grateful to all other jurisdictions who have also assisted,” Smith stated in November.
Anyone with information about auto thefts in the area should contact the Sheriff’s Office at 910-592-4141.