Home Local News Lumberton woman arrested on weed, gun charges in Hamlet after being pulled...

Lumberton woman arrested on weed, gun charges in Hamlet after being pulled for faulty brake light

HAMLET — A traffic stop last week led to a Robeson County woman, who already had an outstanding warrant, facing drug and weapon charges in Richmond County.

Officer Tyler Williams of the Hamlet Police Department pulled over a blue Hyundai Sonata on Raleigh Street May 14 for a non-functioning brake light and because the car appeared to have illegally tinted windows, according to a report.

The officer said when he made contact with the driver, 41-year-old Crystal Bell Motte of Lumberton, he detected the odor of marijuana coming from the car.

Williams said he then “advised” Motte to exit the car and stand at the back with other officers. As he was putting on gloves to search the vehicle, Motte told him there was a firearm in the center console.

Williams said he found a small Phoenix Arms .22-caliber handgun and performed a records check before continuing the search where he allegedly found a “marijuana cigar” and a pack of White Owl cigarillos.

He was then told by dispatch that Motte had an outstanding warrant for domestic criminal trespassing in Robeson County.

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Motte was placed in hand restraints and taken to the Richmond County Magistrate’s office where she was served with the outstanding warrant and charged with one misdemeanor charge each of carrying a concealed gun, possession of up to a half-ounce of marijuana and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

Online court records show she also received citations for an equipment violation and window-tint violation.

She was tentatively held in the Richmond County Jail without bond on the domestic charge (later a $500 bond) and given a $1,000 secured bond on the gun and pot charges, but has since been released.

Motte is scheduled to appear in court June 27 on the criminal charges and July 25 on the traffic infractions.

Records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction show she has no prior convictions in this state.

All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

 



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