ROCKINGHAM — A man is facing a charge of commercial littering for allegedly blocking a road with debris.
According to an arrest warrant, 47-year-old John Michael Gribbins Jr. disposed of 6,880 pounds of limbs, brush and debris in the right of way, which extended into the roadway on March 5.
The warrant, taken out by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, does not specify which road, however it does indicate that the property did not belong to Gribbins.
“The litter was not deposited on property designated by the State or its political subdivision for the disposal of garbage and refuse by a person authorized to use the property for that purpose and was not deposited in a litter receptacle as defined in G.S. 14-399(a)(2),” the warrant reads.
Gribbins was arrested the same day and had his first court appearance March 6. His bond was set at $2,500 secured and his next court date is scheduled for March 13.
Court records show Gribbins has multiple pending traffic violations from the N.C. State Highway Patrol and Hamlet Police Department in 2024, including six counts of driving while license revoked and failure to report an accident.
Records with the N.C. Department of Adult Correction show Gribbens has several prior convictions across the region:
Gribbins received probation for each conviction.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
