ROCKINGHAM — A man currently on probation for an April drug conviction is now accused of assault and theft.
According to investigators with the Rockingham Police Department, an elderly man was assaulted and had items stolen on July 12.
The victim was treated at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital-Richmond and later released, according to police.
Later that day, one of the victim’s financial cards reportedly was used and police were able to get video of the suspect — who was recognized and identified as 40-year-old Chad Michael McKenna.
Police reportedly found McKenna two days later in the drive-thru of First Bank while allegedly trying to pass a stolen check.
Investigators say McKenna was also in a vehicle reported stolen from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Inside that vehicle, police reportedly found items stolen from several break-ins across the county, as well as suspected methamphetamine and suspected fentanyl.
McKenna was arrested and charged with: possession of a stolen motor vehicle; two counts of possession of stolen goods or property; attempting to obtain property by false pretenses; breaking and entering a motor vehicle; felony larceny; and assault inflicting serious injury and assault with a deadly weapon (both misdemeanors).
Police also charged McKenna with possession of drug paraphernalia and “Dangerous Drugs – Free Text Common Law.”
According to the UNC School of Government, “free text” is used “when a specific NC AOC-created offense code can’t be found for the crime and thus no corresponding charging language populates the charging instrument in the computer system. In these instances whoever is charging uses “free text” to craft his or her own charging language.”
McKenna is being held in the Richmond County Jail on a $225,000 secured bond, as well as without bond on a probation violation. Records with the N.C. Department of Adult Correction show McKenna was convicted April 18 for possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and given a suspended sentence.
He is scheduled to appear in court July 27 on the criminal charges and has a parole hearing slated for July 20.
Online court records show McKenna also has the following pending charges: possession of a stolen firearm; possession of a Schedule II controlled substance; possession of drug paraphernalia; simple possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance; and a felony parole violation. The court date listed for those charges was July 17.
McKenna was released from prison in July 2022 after serving more than four years following a 2018 conviction in Brunswick County of two counts of felony breaking and entering, larceny of a motor vehicle and being a habitual felon.
He was sent back for a three-month reimprison violation from October 2022-January 2023, records show.
McKenna has prior convictions in Brunswick, Moore and Richmond counties for a variety of crimes dating back to 2002.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
