ROCKINGHAM — Two men are facing drug trafficking charges from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.
According to arrest warrants, 21-year-old Nicholas William Cox, of Pickett Street, was found in possession of 37.9 grams of methamphetamine. Cox, who has three prior felony convictions, was also allegedly caught with a .40-caliber Glock handgun.
Cox was arrested Feb. 16 and charged with one count each of: trafficking in methamphetamine, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance; and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Warrants state that deputies had orders for Cox’s arrest on four counts of failure to appear in court on felony charges.
While trying to serve those warrants, 28-year-old William Russell Morgan, of Sandy Lane in Hamlet, is accused of lying to a detective about Cox.
Morgan was allegedly found in possession of 17 grams of meth, 9.5 grams of morphine pills, 1.1 grams of fentanyl and an unspecified quantity of heroin.
Morgan was arrested the same day and charged with: two counts of possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance; and one count each of trafficking opium or heroin, possession of a Schedule I controlled substance and resisting a public officer.
Cox is being held in the Richmond County Jail on a combined $280,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court March 3 on the drug charges and March 14 on the failure to appear charges.
Morgan is being held on a $150,000 secured bond and also has a March 3 court date.
Online court records show Cox is already facing the following pending charges: injury to real property; injury to personal property; breaking and entering; larceny after breaking and entering; obtaining property by false pretenses; robbery with a dangerous weapon; conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon; and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Cox also faces a felony probation violation and possession of a firearm by a felon from the Division of Community Corrections and a charge of identity theft in Moore County.
Morgan has the following pending charges: three counts each of possession of a Schedule I controlled substance and carrying a concealed gun; two counts each of simple possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and resisting a public officer; and one count each of simple possession of a Schedule III controlled substance, simple possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance, simple possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, and misdemeanor larceny.
Both Cox and Morgan have previous convictions, according to records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction.
Cox was convicted in 2017 of conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon and assault on a handicapped person. His probation was revoked the following year and he spent nearly 17 months behind bars.
Cox was also convicted in 2020 of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Records show Morgan was convicted in 2017 of two counts of misdemeanor breaking and entering and one count of misdemeanor larceny in Scotland County.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
