ROCKINGHAM — Investigators with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office have charged an East Rockingham man in connection to several crimes during the month of October.
According to warrants, 29-year-old Michael Aaron West, of Safie 1st Street, broke into a neighbor’s building on Oct. 1 and stole a SKS rifle, a vintage over-under .410 shotgun/ .22-caliber rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun.
He is also accused of damaging a glass door and gun cabinet.
On Oct. 5, West allegedly stole a Honda CR80R dirt bike and is accused of trying to rob a man using a handgun the following day.
West is also accused of stealing three additional firearms — a 20-gauge lever-action shotgun, a .22-caliber rifle and a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun — as well as four rings, including a class ring, from another victim on Oct. 20.
West was arrested Oct. 23 and charged with seven counts of felony larceny, three counts of misdemeanor larceny, one felony count of breaking and entering, one felony count of attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, one misdemeanor count of injury to real property and one misdemeanor count of injury to personal property.
As of Monday evening, West remained in the Richmond County Jail under a $50,000 secured bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on those charges Nov. 12.
Online court records show West has pending charges of resisting a public officer from the Division of Community Corrections and a count of felony conspiracy from the Rockingham Police Department.
West was charged in May with attempted first-degree murder by the Hamlet Police Department.
Records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction show West was given a 12-month suspended sentence in June 2019 when he was convicted of misdemeanor larceny and filing a false report to police radio.
West was first convicted in 2011 of misdemeanor breaking and entering.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
