ROCKINGHAM — A man recently released from federal prison is back in jail, accused of raping and kidnapping his girlfriend.
According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called by officers of the Mount Gilead Police Department on Jan. 1 regarding an alleged sexual assault.
The victim, who has a Mount Gilead address but lives just inside Richmond County, reportedly told investigators that the previous night she was at home with her boyfriend, 32-year-old Dustin Wayne Coble, and he was drinking and at times would become irate.
The victim accuses Coble of assaulting her while she was taking him to his home in Hamlet, both while she was driving and during times he allegedly made her pull over.
When they got to his home, Coble allegedly took the victim’s keys and phones and refused to let her leave, later allegedly forcing her to engage in sexual intercourse.
Coble reportedly returned her keys and phone the next day and let her leave, but allegedly threatened her not to report the incident to law enforcement.
According to the sheriff’s office, investigators collected evidence and obtained warrants.
Coble was arrested Jan. 2 and charged with one felony count each of second-degree kidnapping and second-degree rape, as well as one misdemeanor count each of assault on a female, communicating threats and interfering with emergency communication.
He was initially held without bond due to the case being related to domestic violence. However, jail records show he was given a $250,000 secured bond. Coble is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 9.
Records with the Federal Bureau of Prisons show Coble was released from custody on Nov. 17, 2022.
Court records show Coble was convicted by a federal judge in 2018 of possession of a firearm by a felon — after two other charges were dropped as part of a plea deal — for stealing the same rifle he was convicted of stealing from a neighbor the previous year and selling it for cocaine.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
