ROCKINGHAM — Two landlords are facing criminal charges, accused of opening a deceased tenant’s safe.
According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, 65-year-old Tony Eugene McLean and and 60-year-old Norma Sue McLean, both of Rockingham, had taken a safe from the home of a tenant who had died.
The McLeans allegedly claimed that they were holding the safe until it could be given to the children of the deceased owner. However, while it was in their possession, the McLeans allegedly opened it without permission.
Investigators say the safe has been recovered.
The McLeans were arrested Monday, Sept. 19, each charged with a single felony count of safecracking and released on a $5,000 unsecured bond. They are scheduled to appear in court Oct. 6.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
