Tossed cigarettes lead to lockdown, arrests

A pack of cigarettes and a stolen automatic weapon got a Wilson man and a Farmville man arrested Friday.

Stantonsburg Police Chief John Hunt said Christopher Leon Ormond, 38, of 501 Walton St. and Elton Ray Harris, 26, of 71 Dunwoody Lane, Farmville were arrested and charged with felony possession of a stolen firearm. Pending the outcome of further investigation, more charges could be forthcoming. No bond information was available by presstime.

The incident began when Ormond and Harris pulled up outside the chain-link fence at the Maury Correctional Institute in Greene County.

Hunt said one of the men exited the vehicle and threw a pack of cigarettes over the fence.

“When the call came into 911, the person that saw the man jump into the passenger side of the SUV thought the man had jumped the fence and escaped from the prison,” Hunt said.

Information about the make, model and license tag was obtained from the witness and a search was on for the vehicle.

“We were told that the vehicle was headed toward Wilson County,” Hunt said. “At the time, we thought we had a prison escapee.”

Hunt said the vehicle was spotted and after backup from the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office and Greene County deputies were called in, a vehicle stop was initiated at the Hasty Mart on N.C. 58.

“We got the two suspects out of the vehicle and put them in handcuffs,” Hunt said. “That’s when we began searching the vehicle and we found an assault rifle.”

Hunt said during the search they were told by N.C. Department of Correction officials all of the inmates at Maury were accounted for.

“They initiated a lockdown of their facility and did a headcount,” Hunt said.

While running the serial number on the weapon, it was determined the firearm was stolen.

“What really happened was that one of these men knew someone that was being housed in that prison,” Hunt said. “So they threw a pack of cigarettes over the fence for them. That’s how this all got started.”

Hunt said quick thinking and great teamwork facilitated the arrest.

“I’m very proud of my staff,” he said. “We try to model our professionalism after the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office. We are not going to tolerate any felony behaviors in our community. I’m very proud of my officers and I couldn’t ask for a better crew.”

Hunt also credited the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office and North Carolina Department of Correction personnel for their participation.

This isn’t the first brush with law enforcement for either Ormond or Harris.

Ormond was convicted in April and placed on probation through an interstate compact for a non-North Carolina offense for felony receiving or possessing a firearm. In 2008, he also received probation for misdemeanor possession of stolen goods.

Harris’ conviction record is a little longer. Between 2003 and 2010, Harris either received prison time or probation for driving while impaired, driving while license revoked, two counts of misdemeanor possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance, two counts of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, two counts of felony possession of stolen goods, one count of felony receiving of stolen goods and eight counts of misdemeanor larceny.

He has charges currently pending in Pitt County for misdemeanor resisting a public officer and in Greene County for driving while impaired and driving while license revoked.