ROCKINGHAM — A man and woman are facing felony drug charges after they were allegedly found sleeping in a car.
Deputies from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call on April 16 regarding a suspicious vehicle on Osborne Road, according to a press release issued Tuesday.
The responding deputy reportedly saw 31-year-old David Robert Brigman, of Rockingham, and 27-year-old Karalyn Shayne Powell, of Hamlet, asleep inside, as well as “obvious signs of illegal drug use.”
Brigman and Powell were removed from the vehicle and identified and deputies found out they both had outstanding orders for arrest, according to the release.
While searching the vehicle, deputies reportedly found 7.85 grams of suspected meth and 0.54 grams of fentanyl.
Both were arrested and each charged with one felony count each of possession of methamphetamine and possession of a Schedule I controlled substance, as well as a single misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Brigman was booked into the Richmond County Jail under a $20,000 secured bond and Powell was given a combined $40,000 secured bond, half of which was for failure to appear on a felony. They are scheduled to appear in court May 5.
Online court records show Brigman had a court appearance in Scotland County District Court Tuesday on misdemeanor charges of shoplifting and first-degree trespassing. However, prison records show he was admitted to Craven Correctional Institution on Tuesday.
Records show Powell has charges pending in both Richmond County District and Superior court:
- District – possession of methamphetamine, possession of up to a half-ounce of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia from earlier this year.
- Superior – Larceny of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and felony probation violation from 2021.
Both are convicted felons, according to records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction.
Powell was first convicted in 2016 on three counts each of felony breaking and entering and larceny after breaking and entering in Stokes County. Her probation was revoked in Richmond County the following year, landing her behind bars for eight months.
She was also sentenced to another three months for a post-release violation in 2018.
Powell is currently serving a 24-month suspended sentence after being convicted in February of receiving a stolen vehicle.
Brigman’s early record contains several misdemeanor convictions: three counts of damage to property in 2007; and one count of driving while impaired in each 2008 and 2010.
His probation was revoked on the later DWI in 2011 when he was convicted of felony breaking and entering, resulting in a three-month incarceration.
Brigman was convicted of driving with a revoked license in 2012 and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance in 2013.
His probation was revoked later that year and he spent four months in prison. He went back for five months on post-release revocation when busted for selling a Schedule II controlled substance in August of 2014. He was convicted of that crime a week later and was released in January 2015, but was back in prison in May on another post-release revocation and released again in December.
In July 2016, Brigman was convicted of possession or distribution of a meth precursor and being a habitual felon. He served three years, being released in July 2019, but was back behind bars in June 2020 on another post-release revocation, serving seven months.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
