ALBEMARLE — A political hopeful recently agreed to a plea bargain, saving himself from being a convicted felon.
Records show 23-year-old Joshua Flores, of Ellerbe, was convicted Jan. 29 on one misdemeanor count each of larceny and financial card fraud in Stanly County.
Flores was initially charged with one felony count of larceny by employee, six counts each of identity theft and obtaining property by a false pretense and misdemeanor financial card fraud.
He was accused of stealing $20 from the AT&T store where he worked, as well as stealing the debit card number from a customer which he used to purchase two pairs of pants, movie theater tickets, food from Zaxby’s — and tickets to the state Republican convention.
According to court records, Flores was given a 45-day suspended sentence and 12 months of supervised probation and ordered to pay fines, court costs and restitution.
Flores announced his intent to run as a Republican for the District 66 seat in the N.C. House of Representatives on Jan. 4 and records with the N.C. State Board of Elections show he filed paperwork on Jan. 8.
The district — which covers Richmond, Montgomery and part of Stanly County — is currently represented by Ken Goodman, a Richmond County Democrat who was re-elected to his fifth term in November.
Goodman previously told the RO that the seat has been held by a Richmond County Democrat as far back as he can remember.
This year he faced challenges from candidates in two parties: Joey Davis from the GOP; and Justin Miller from the Green Party.
Goodman garnered a little more than 50 percent of the vote with 13,361 votes cast in his favor. Davis secured nearly 47 percent with 12,338 and Miller came in at 2.12 percent with 556 votes.
Although Davis carried the majority of his home county of Montgomery and the sliver of Stanly County in the 66th District, Richmond helped propel Goodman to victory.
Richmond County Commissioner Ben Moss, the first Republican elected to the board in more than 120 years, also announced his intent to run for the seat, but the state elections board shows no record of paperwork being filed.
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