A Sampson County jury convicted Maurice Owens, 35, of 81 Myrtle Road, Roseboro, of felonious breaking and entering, felonious larceny, felonious possession of stolen goods, possession of implements of housebreaking, first-degree trespass and resisting a public officer.
Tuesday’s conviction stemmed from an Oct. 2, 2008 incident at James Hairr’s turkey farm on Lyman Road, in the Salemburg area. That night, Hairr received a call from his security company informing him that a silent alarm from the pump house at his farm had been triggered.
Hairr and his son responded and saw the light was on in the pump house. An unfamiliar go-cart was parked behind the litter shed and, as Hairr looked back toward the pump house, he saw the light go off and an individual run out of the building and toward the back of the farm, according to testimony.
Hairr’s son called 911 and Sampson County Sheriff’s authorities responded and immediately secured the perimeter. Detective Jay Parsons and responding deputy Jason Faircloth each testified that, when they saw the go-cart, they recognized it as being the same one they had seen Owens driving before.
The go-cart contained channel lock pliers, bolt cutters and a hacksaw.
Another sheriff’s deputy, Donald Carter, responded to the scene with K-9 Bene, who picked up a scent at the rear of the pump house and followed it into a woodline in the rear of the farm. There, a red and black bag full of wires and electrical cords was found. Hairr recognized the bag and its contents as coming from his pump house, he said in testimony.
Owens would be found minutes later in the same woodline, curled into the fetal position with his head down. When found, he made no response to deputies, who were able to bring Owens to his feet and place him into custody. A flashlight and screwdriver were found on his person, according to prosecutors.
A jury found Owens guilty of all charges against him. Following the verdict, Senior Resident Superior Court Judge W. Allen Cobb Jr. asked jurors to return to the jury room for a second phase of the proceedings — to determine whether Owens was a habitual felon.
A habitual felon is someone who has previously been convicted of at least three other felonies.
According to information from the District Attorney’s Office, during the second phase, outside the presence of the jury, “Owens admitted his status as an habitual felon.”
According to the N.C. Department of Corrections, Owens’ criminal record includes past convictions of larceny of a motor vehicle, receiving stolen goods, larceny, trespassing, communicating threats, speeding to elude arrest, resisting a public officer, driving while impaired and driving while license revoked.
Based on the verdicts and Owens’ admission, Cobb sentenced Owens to a minimum of 168 months and a maximum of 211 months in prison, to be followed by two additional sentences of 60 days in prison.
Cobb handed down a similar punishment for a habitual felon in Duplin County Superior Court last week.
In that case, a Duplin County man was convicted of similar larceny and breaking and entering charges in a separate case and was subsequently deemed a habitual felon. After reviewing the man’s record, Cobb sentenced him to no less than 13 years, four months in prison.
Chris Berendt can be reached at 910-592-8137, ext. 121, or by email at sicrime@myclintonnc.com.
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