Home Crime Richmond County man facing gun, pot charges following traffic stop

Richmond County man facing gun, pot charges following traffic stop

ROCKINGHAM — A man who had an outstanding warrant in another county is now facing drug and weapon charges in Richmond County.

Deputies with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office were patrolling around Mill Road and South Street Wednesday evening because of recent drug activity when one deputy reportedly saw a multicolored Dodge Charger pull out of a dirt drive off of South Street, according to a press release issued Thursday.

The deputy followed the Charger onto Mill Road and ran the plate, which came back as expired “with other violations,” the release states.

A traffic stop was reportedly conducted in the parking lot of a convenience store. When the deputy approached the car, he reportedly smelled marijuana and noticed that the driver, 28-year-old Winford Thomas Dawkins Jr. of Rockingham, had had “what appeared to be marijuana residue on his pant legs.”

Dawkins allegedly admitted to recently smoking pot and was asked to get out of the car. Deputies found out that Dawkins had an outstanding warrant for possession of a firearm by a felon out of Guilford County, according to the release.

After Dawkins was detained, deputies searched the vehicle and reportedly found a .40-caliber handgun and vacuum-sealed bags that had been cut open but allegedly still had marijuana residue. 

While he was being placed under arrest, Dawkins reportedly told deputies that he had left a 10-year-old boy at home alone — but refused to give an address.

One deputy reportedly knew that Dawkins had been staying on Wilson Avenue and went to the home.

According to the release, the deputy stepped on the porch and talked to the boy through a storm door — where he could see “different amounts” of marijuana on a table within 4 feet of the child. He then entered the home and took the child “to a safe location” until someone could pick up the child.

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The Narcotics Unit obtained a search warrant for the home and investigators reportedly found and seized more than 7 pounds of suspected marijuana and a box with magazines allegedly matching the handgun that was found in the car.

In addition to being served with the out-of-county warrant, Dawkins was charged with: two counts of possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana; possession of a firearm by a felon; carrying a concealed gun; maintaining a vehicle for a controlled substance; maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance; felony possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia; possession of marijuana paraphernalia; and possession of a Schedule III controlled substance.

Dawkins was booked into the Richmond County Jail under a $150,000 secured bond, however he was not listed as an inmate late Thursday.

Online court records show Dawkins has pending charges in Stanly County of: possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance (marijuana); simple possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance; resisting a public officer; and possession of a controlled substance on prison or jail premises. Those charges date back to 2020.

Dawkins also faces several traffic infractions in Richmond County.

Records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction show Dawkins was convicted in 2012 of breaking and entering and in 2013 of possession of drug paraphernalia — both misdemeanors.

His first felony convictions came in April 2016 with two counts of delivering or selling a Schedule II controlled substance. Later that year he was convicted of inciting to riot.

His probation on the drug and riot charges was revoked the following year when he was convicted of possession with intent to sell a Schedule VI controlled substance and he spent a year in prison on concurrent sentences.

All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

 



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