ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County deputies reportedly found cocaine on a man accused of not showing up in court.
Deputies responded to a call Monday, Dec. 26 from someone saying that 31-year-old Michael Aaron West — who had two outstanding failure-to-appear warrants — was at a convenience store on Airport Road, according to a press release issued by the sheriff’s office.
However, when the deputies arrived, they were reportedly told that West had just left in a car.
A car matching that description was stopped on Marigold Street and the three occupants had no identification but gave deputies names, none of them being West, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies reportedly figured out that West was in the back seat and had given them a fake name.
West was arrested on the outstanding warrants for failure to appear on misdemeanor charges of larceny and second-degree trespassing. While taking West into custody, deputies reportedly found a bag of cocaine on his person.
He was additionally charged with possession of cocaine and resisting a public officer. He was booked into the Richmond County Jail under a combined $11,000 secured bond.
West is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 6 on the trespassing and larceny charges and Jan. 12 on the cocaine and resisting charges. Online court records show West is also supposed to be in a Moore County courtroom on a misdemeanor larceny charge on the latter date.
Records show West also has court appearances on the following other pending charges:
- Jan. 17 – Richmond County Superior Court – breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, probation violation (all felonies, from 2020)
- Feb. 9 – Richmond County District Court – resisting a public officer
- Feb. 14 – Anson County District Court – obtaining property by false pretenses, uttering a forged instrument, possession of a counterfeit instrument, currency or check.
Records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction show West was released from prison on Sept. 28 on a nine-month post-release revocation after serving only a month for a 2021 conviction of attempted common law robbery.
West was also convicted of felony larceny and breaking and entering in 2021.
His first conviction was in 2011 for misdemeanor breaking and entering and wasn’t convicted again until 2019 for misdemeanor larceny and giving a false report to police radio.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
