ROCKINGHAM — A man is facing several criminal charges after allegedly reconnecting electricity to an East Rockingham residence multiple times last year.
Warrants allege that 45-year-old David Clay Andre, of Rohannan Avenue, had his power cut off by Duke Energy, but illegally reconnected it on Feb. 1 and 21, March 11 and June 25 of 2024.
The second warrant from February 2024 accuses Andre of stealing less than $1,000 worth of electricity from the power company.
Andre is also accused of running from a deputy with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and “refusing to obey commands” on May 20.
He was arrested and charged with four felony counts of reconnecting a utility and one count each of misdemeanor larceny and resisting a public officer.
Andre was booked into the Richmond County Jail where he is being held on a combined $18,000 secured bond. He is scheduled to appear in court June 5.
Records with the N.C. Department of Adult Correction show Andre has been convicted several times since the mid-’90s:
1996 - felony larceny
1997 - misdemeanor breaking and entering, felony breaking and entering
1999 - common law robbery, resisting a public officer
2011 - fleeing to elude arrest, assault on an officer or state employee
2022 - injury to wires of a telephone or telegraph company
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
