ROCKINGHAM — A woman is facing four felony charges after allegedly stealing vases from a graveyard and selling them for scrap.
An arrest warrant alleges that 62-year-old Patsy Smith White, of Rockingham, stole 24 brass vases from gravesites at Richmond County Memorial Park Cemetery on July 17.
According to the warrant, the vases are the property of the cemetery and valued at $8,400.
White is also accused of selling nine of the vases to a scrap metal yard for $52.20.
The Rockingham Police Department obtained the arrest warrant on July 23, charging White with: felony larceny; possession of stolen goods or property; obtaining property by false pretenses; and disturbing a casket or gravemarker.
She was arrested the same day and booked into the Richmond County Jail on a $10,000 secured bond. White is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 6.
Records with the N.C. Department of Adult Correction show White was convicted in 2013 of possessing stolen goods and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance.She was initially given probation, which was later revoked, leading to a 2-and-a-half-month incarceration.
Court records show she was also convicted of misdemeanor larceny in 2024.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
