HAMLET — A man wanted on drug charges in a coastal county is facing misdemeanor charges in Richmond County.
Court records show 32-year-old Devonte Tyrell Bethea, of Hamlet, was arrested without warrant by the Hamlet Police Department Wednesday on charges of resisting a public officer and possession of up to a half-ounce of marijuana.
As for the first charge, a magistrate’s order states that Bethea gave an officer false names.
Richmond County Jail records show Bethea is also being held on charges from Brunswick County: selling or delivering cocaine; possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine; and conspiracy to sell or deliver cocaine.
Brunswick County is not yet connected to the eCourts system, so those warrants are not available. The charges are also not yet reflected by online records with the N.C. Courts System.
Bethea is being held on a combined $51,000 secured bond. He is scheduled to appear in Richmond County District Court on Feb. 20, and in Brunswick County on Jan. 2.
Records with the N.C. Department of Adult Correction show Bethea was convicted in 2019 on two counts of possession with intent to sell a Schedule II controlled substance, and one count of possessing or receiving a stolen firearm.
The following year, Bethea was convicted of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance.
His probation on those four convictions was revoked in 2022 when he was convicted on two additional counts of possession with intent to sell a Schedule II controlled substance. He served 10 months and two weeks in prison.
All prior convictions were in Brunswick County.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
