4 charged in Hamlet drug investigation

HAMLET — Four people are facing multiple drug charges following the serving of a search warrant by investigators from all three Richmond County law enforcement agencies.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Community Impact Team had been investigating alleged drug activity following complaints at a home on Beeler Avenue, including making controlled buys of narcotics, according to a press release issued Monday.

The warrant was executed Thursday, Oct. 13 by the CIT and Special Response Team, along with officers from the Hamlet Police Department and investigators with the Rockingham Police Department Vice/Narcotics Unit.

Investigators reportedly found two handguns — one of which had been reported stolen to RPD — and “items used to package illegal narcotics, marijuana, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.”

The following individuals were charged and booked into the Richmond County Jail:

• Chad Michael McKenna, 39, Hamlet - possession of a Schedule II controlled substance; possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance; possession of drug paraphernalia; possession of a firearm by a felon; possession of a stolen firearm. $50,000 secured bond
• Elijah Jacob Stanford, 23, Hamlet - four counts of possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance; five counts of selling a Schedule II controlled substance; five counts of delivering a Schedule II controlled substance; possession of a Schedule II controlled substance; and maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance. $150,000 secured bond.
• Shelby Jacobs Grooms, 68, Hamlet - two counts of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance; simple possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance; simple possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance; simple possession of a Schedule II controlled substance; maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance; and possession of drug paraphernalia. $1,000 secured bond.
• Christina Danielle McKenna, 44, Hamlet - possession of a Schedule II controlled substance; and possession of a Schedule III controlled substance. $1,000 secured bond.

Jail records appear to show they had all made bail by Monday afternoon. They are all scheduled to appear in court Oct. 27.

Online court records show Stanford has several pending traffic infractions, as well as a count of injury to personal property, in both Richmond and Columbus counties.

Christina McKenna also has multiple pending traffic infractions, dating back to 2006.Records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction show Chad McKenna was released from prison in July 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.

Chad McKenna also has previous convictions in both Richmond and Moore counties, dating back to 2002.

Stanford was convicted this past February in Columbus County of possession of a firearm by a felon. He was previously convicted in Richmond County of possessing stolen goods and harboring an escapee in 2017, and credit card theft and misdemeanor larceny in 2018. Stanford was given probation in all cases.

Grooms was given probation in 2015 when she was convicted of maintaining any place for a controlled substance, records show.

Christina McKenna was first convicted of driving while impaired in 2000. Other convictions include:

• 2004 - Maintaining a place for a controlled substance
• 2012 - misdemeanor larceny, driving with a revoked license
• 2015 - two counts of delivering or selling a Schedule II controlled substance (served three months following a probation revocation)

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