Two La Grange men have been arrested for stealing wheelchair access ramps at a Kinston church.

Darrell Smith, 40, and Michael Bridwell, 41, were arrested and charged with multiple felony charges for larceny of an aluminum ramp and a wooden ramp on Dec. 28 at Rivermont Baptist Church, 2478 Hwy 258 South.

They were arrested Wednesday by Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office General Investigation Division detectives following an investigation that produced a search warrant for the property at 2544 Lang Skinner Road in La Grange. The LCSO’s Street Crimes and Rapid Response (SCARR) team and narcotics detectives assisted with the search warrant on Wednesday.

Smith was charged with

·      Felony obtaining property by false pretense

·      Felony conspiracy to obtain property by false pretense

·      Felony possession of stolen goods

·      Misdemeanor obstructing justice

Bridwell was charged with:

·      Felony larceny

·      Felony obtaining property by false pretense

·      Felony possession of stolen goods

·      Felony conspiracy to obtain property by false pretense

Smith was arrested and transported to the Lenoir County Jail, where he received no bond due to post release.

Bridwell was already in custody from previous charges and processed for the additional charges. He received an additional $20,000 secured bond.

The LCSO would like to thank the residents of Lenoir County for their assistance with this case.