Public Safety

Joseph Stevens will spend the next 15 to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to being a habitual felon in possession of opiates. Stevens. 39, was arrested in a drug investigation at the Econo-Lodge in Whiteville on March 6, 2024. Investigators raided his home on Mt. Moriah Church Road in April 2025. The District Attorney’s Office said oxycodone, hydrocodone and other drug-related items were seized in each...

A man’s gunsafe was cracked and $20,000 in firearms stolen while he was in jail, according to the sheriff’s office. The victim told deputies that he had recently been incarcerated, and when he was released, he came home Country Village Estates to discover that the gunsafe had been pillaged. He also reported that $5,000 cash was missing with the firearms. A list of the weapons was not included...

Two allegedly impaired men were arrested after they reportedly assaulted deputies trying to assist them in separate incidents. Deputies were called to Mary White Road near Whiteville at 10 p.m. Saturday, according to the report. Richard Long, 47, was a guest at a party and had become intoxicated, the report said. Deputies were called because he was “causing a disturbance,” the report said. Long had sustained a minor...