ROCKINGHAM — A man wanted in Moore County was allegedly found with drugs after leaving his parked vehicle in someone else’s driveway.
A resident in the area of Church Street in East Rockingham called 911 to report that a suspicious vehicle had been in his driveway for 20-30 minutes on Sunday, Dec. 4, according to a press release from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators with the Community Impact Team were dispatched to respond and the caller reportedly told them that he had the suspect on camera.
The video reportedly showed the suspect get out of the vehicle and walk away, out of camera view.
The caller requested that the vehicle be towed off of his property and, while waiting for the wrecker service, one of the investigators found 37-year-old Matthew Adam Scott, of Rockingham, lying in the woodline behind the home, according to the sheriff’s office.
When investigators ran Scott’s information, they reportedly learned he had outstanding warrants from Moore County on charges of larceny of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen automobile and felony conspiracy.
While frisking Scott, investigators reportedly found a plastic bag with 4 grams of fentanyl and 18 suboxone strips inside his pants.
Scott was served the Moore County warrants and charged by Richmond County investigators with: trafficking in opium or heroin; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance; simple possession of a Schedule III controlled substance; and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was booked into the Richmond County Jail where, as of Monday afternoon, was still being held on a combined $110,000 secured bond. Jail records show Scott is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 21 in Moore County and Dec. 22 in Richmond County.
Online court records show Scott was slated to appear in court Monday, Dec. 5 on the following pending charges from 2021: breaking or entering; larceny after breaking and entering; larceny of a motor vehicle; and felony larceny.
Scott was first convicted in 2004 of common law forgery, according to records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction.
He went to prison in 2007 when convicted of felony breaking and entering, and speeding to elude arrest, for which he served nearly nine months.
Scott was behind bars again in 2009 when he was convicted of larceny of a motor vehicle and his probation was revoked from a conviction of felony larceny and larceny after breaking and entering several months prior.
He served seven months, being released in May 2010 — and was convicted six months later of misdemeanor larceny and communicating threats and was given probation.
The following year, Scott was convicted of aiding and abetting in Scotland County, as well as felony larceny and possession of a firearm by a felon in Richmond County. However, he just received probation.
The following month he was convicted of misdemeanor larceny in Moore County and was incarcerated for three months.
Later that year, Scott’s probation on the Richmond County charges was revoked when he was convicted of possessing stolen goods and he was imprisoned for another 25 months.
In 2015, Scott was convicted on two counts of attempted felony larceny and one count each of receiving a stolen vehicle, receiving stolen goods and uttering a forged instrument.
He was incarcerated for four years and his parole ended in late 2020.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
