ROCKINGHAM — Investigators from two Richmond County law enforcement agencies teamed up to bring in a man accused of being a habitual felon — who wound up with additional drug charges.
According to a press release issued Thursday, investigators from both the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and Rockingham Police Department worked together to arrest 52-year-old Richard Harris McFayden Wednesday, April 6, on an outstanding order for arrest for being a habitual felon.
Records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction show McFayden has multiple previous felony and misdemeanor convictions dating back more than 20 years.
During the arrest, investigators reportedly found approximately 23 grams of suspected methamphetamine, less than a gram of suspected fentanyl, and around 13 grams of marijuana.
In addition to the habitual felon charge, McFayden was charged with one felony count each of: possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance; possession of a Schedule II controlled substance; possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule VI controlled substance.
McFayden was also charged with one misdemeanor count each of resisting a public officer and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Richmond County Jail records show McFayden is also charged with five counts of failure to appear on a felony and one count of failure to appear on a misdemeanor.
McFayden is being held on a combined $600,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court April 21 on the recent charges.
Online court records show McFayden has multiple pending charges from the sheriff’s office from 2020: possession of a stolen motor vehicle; two counts of trafficking opium or heroin; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a Schedule I controlled substance; possession of a Schedule I controlled substance; resisting a public officer; and injury to personal property.
McFayden also has pending charges from both agencies from 2021:
- RPD – possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver methamphetamine; possession of drug paraphernalia.
- RCSO – possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance; selling a Schedule II controlled substance; and delivering a Schedule II controlled substance.
His court date on those charges is April 11.
According to state records, McFayden was first convicted in 2000 of unauthorized use of motor conveyance. That was followed in 2003 with misdemeanor convictions of larceny and breaking and entering, and in 2004 with convictions of receiving stolen goods — his first felony — and misdemeanor larceny.
McFayden’s probation from the 2003 and 2004 convictions was revoked, landing him in prison for eight months.
Six months following his release, McFayden was again convicted of misdemeanor larceny. He also received probation on a misdemeanor drug paraphernalia conviction in 2007.
However, his probation on both those convictions was revoked in 2008 when he was convicted of yet another count of misdemeanor larceny and he served five months behind bars.
A month prior to his release, McFayden was convicted of misdemeanor breaking and entering. He received his second felony conviction in 2009 for larceny after breaking and entering. He was incarcerated for another four months when his probation on the misdemeanor conviction was revoked.
In 2013, records show McFayden was convicted in Scotland County of misdemeanor larceny and first-degree trespassing.
His next felonies came in 2016 when convicted in Richmond County of delivering or selling a Schedule II controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance in a penal institution.
McFayden’s probation on those convictions was revoked in 2018 when he was convicted of felony larceny and for committing multiple prior larcenies, and he served another 17 months.
He was released in February of 2019 and his parole was terminated in November of that year.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
