ROCKINGHAM — The third suspect in a pair of thefts from a local retail store has been taken into custody.
Paul Anthony Worthy Jr., 37, of East Rockingham, is accused of conspiring with 47-year-old Carl Franklin Meece III and 45-year-old Jody Singletary to steal a Troy-Bilt gas pressure washer, two Greenworks electric pressure washers and a Greenworks brushless chainsaw from Walmart.
The incidents reportedly happened on June 29 (with Meece) and July 1 (with Singletary).
Meece and Singletary had already been taken into custody.
Worthy was arrested Tuesday, July 8 and charged with two counts of larceny from a merchant using an emergency door, conspiracy to commit felony larceny, felony conspiracy and possession of stolen goods or property.
He is being held in the Richmond County Jail on a combined $20,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court July 17 and 24.
Records with the N.C. Department of Adult Correction show Worthy has prior misdemeanor convictions in four counties:
Sampson County - possession of a Schedule II controlled substance; possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance; possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance; possession of drug paraphernalia; giving fictitious information to a law enforcement officer (2013)
Chatham County - possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance; possession of drug paraphernalia (2014)
Wake County - carrying a concealed weapon; possession of drug paraphernalia (2018)
Alamance County - attempted possession of a counterfeit instrument; resisting an officer (2020)
Worthy received probation in each case.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
