ROCKINGHAM — A man and woman are facing charges after investigators from two agencies reportedly found drugs at a home in the Ashley Chapel community.
According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Community Impact Team and Rockingham Police Department narcotics unit teamed up for a joint investigation into suspected drug activity at a home on Ingram Street, south of Rockingham.
The Special Response Teams from both departments reportedly executed a search warrant Wednesday, July 13 at the home of 40-year-old Kevin Oliver Stewart and 39-year-old Cherie Marie Bennett.
Investigators reportedly found 6.5 grams of cocaine and 14 dosage units of Zubsolv, a sublingual tablet with a combination of buprenorphine used to treat opioid dependency which can also become addictive.
In addition to the drugs, investigators also seized paraphernalia used for packaging and $424 in cash, according to a press release.
Stewart and Bennett were arrested and each charged with: possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance; maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for a controlled substance; and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Each was booked into the Richmond County Jail under a $10,000 secured bond. Neither appeared in jail records on July 15. Both are scheduled to appear in court July 21.
Online court records show Stewart has an appearance in Richmond County Superior Court Aug. 8 on charges of: felony possession of cocaine; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver cocaine; maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for a controlled substance; and a felony probation violation.
Bennett has no other pending charges in the state.
Records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction show Stewart is currently serving a 12-month suspended sentence following a conviction of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance in February.
His only other prior conviction was for misdemeanor larceny in 1999.
Bennett was first convicted in 2000 for simple assault in Moore County. She was also convicted in 2003 for assault and battery and assault on a public official in Richmond County.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
