Three Chocowinity men were charged with felony larceny and attempting to obtain property by false pretenses after Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office deputies traced stolen goods to one of their homes, according to a press release.
The crime was reported on Dec. 26: the owner of a mulch business on N.C. Highway 102 in Vanceboro said a large metal hopper and an electronic metering device were stolen. On Jan. 10, the sheriff’s office received a report of three men attempting to sell a large metal hopper to a recycling business on U.S. Highway 17 in Vanceboro, according to the release.
At the scene, deputies detained Seth Ray Simpkins, 21, of Harding Street; Charles Justin Bauer, 18, of Pollard Road, and Robert Wayne Smith Jr., 22, of N.C. Highway 33 West. The release states that a search warrant was obtained and the electronic scale was found by deputies at the Harding Street residence.
All three were held at the Beaufort County Detention Center under $10,000 secured bonds. More charges are expected in the case.