HAMLET — A man is facing several charges after allegedly driving under the influence and having meth.
According to a magistrate’s order, 31-year-old Robert Leslie Melton Jr. was driving on Jefferson Street in Hamlet “while subject to an impairing substance” on Nov. 26.
Officers with the Hamlet Police Department also allegedly found an unspecified quantity of meth, as well as a filled syringe.
Melton was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving while impaired. He is being held in the Richmond County Jail on a $10,000 secured bond and his next scheduled court appearance is Jan. 9.
Melton is a registered sex offender, having been convicted of taking indecent liberties with a child in 2012. At the time of the incident, Melton was 17 and the victim was 12, according to the N.C. Sex Offender Registry. He served nearly 10 months behind bars.
His only other conviction is for failing to register as a sex offender in 2021. His initial probation was revoked the following year and he was incarcerated for six months. In 2023, Melton was imprisoned for another three months for a violation.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
