By Erin Smith
One of the defendants charged with breaking and entering and larceny of the Bladen Hardware Store in Elizabethtown was sentenced on Wednesday.
Christopher Lamonta McDowell of Brown’s Creek Church Road, Elizabethtown, accepted a plea arrangement which allowed him to plead guilty to one count of breaking and entering and one county of larceny of a firearm. Judge Rueben Young asked McDowell if he was under the influence of any substances to which McDowell answered he had “smoked weed” Tuesday night prior to coming to court.
Judge Young then sent McDowell to be drug tested before continuing with the sentencing process. It was announced later in court the drug test was positive for marijuana only.
“What plausible explanation could he have for smoking marijuana then walking into court?” Judge Young asked.
McDowell’s attorney Kyle Melvin had no response to offer. Melvin did request the court to consider sentencing McDowell to 30 days of probation and to allow him to do any active jail time on the weekends. Melvin explained his client is employed and the company is scheduled to begin a new job. In addition, McDowell also works part-time as a laborer and has one disabled arm due to a four-wheeler accident several years ago.
Bladen County District Attorney Courtney Sanford said McDowell was identified from a video due to his injured arm. Sanford told the court the person who identified McDowell said he was injured in an accident.
Judge Young agreed to accept the agreement for a conditional discharge. The terms will include 36 months of supervised probation, 48 hours of community service, and to pay restitution of $4,562.16.
Christopher McDowell also claimed in court to not know Hasaan Swindell and he told the court DeWayne McDowell and Daniel McDowell were his cousins. He was ordered by Judge Young to have no contact with his cousins while on probation and to have no contact with Hasaan Swindell.
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