ROCKINGHAM — Wildlife officials have charged a man wanted in Moore County with littering, presumably on state property.
David Webster Mitchell, 30, of Fairmont, is accused of improperly disposing of more than 10 pounds of refuse “on property not owned by the defendant, not into a litter (receptacle) … and not on property designated by the State or a political subdivision thereof for the disposal of garbage … with authorization to use the property for that purpose,” according to a warrant taken out by an officer with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.
The warrant does not specify the exact weight of the litter, just that it was more than 10 pounds and less than 500 pounds.
Although the warrant also doesn’t exactly specify where exactly the alleged littering took place, the second charge listed accuses Mitchell of trespassing on the Sandhills Game Lands for purposes other than hunting, trapping or fishing.
The littering and trespassing is alleged to have happened on May 16 and the arrest warrant was issued May 29. Mitchell was arrested June 24 and charged with one misdemeanor count of littering 10-500 pounds and a charge that equates to trespassing.
Mitchell is being held on a $500 secured bond, as well as a $1,500 secured bond for failure to appear on a misdemeanor in Moore County.
Court records show Mitchell pleaded guilty to misdemeanor larceny and a charge of possession of stolen goods was dismissed on April 10. However, an order for arrest was issued for a probation violation on May 15.
The N.C. Department of Adult Correction lists Mitchell as a probation absconder.
Records also show Mitchell was cited by NCWRC for allegedly unlawfully camping in the game lands on May 10.
Mitchell also has pending traffic citations from the Hamlet Police Department. Records show he failed to appear on June 3.
He has court dates scheduled for Aug. 20 in Richmond County and July 9 in Richmond County.
In addition to the Moore County conviction, state records show Mitchell has the following prior convictions in Richmond County:
2019 - assault on a female; felony breaking and entering (probation revoked, served less than six months)
2021 - post-release revocation (served less than six months)
2022 - possession of drug paraphernalia
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
