Authorities charged two China Grove men with taking scrap metal from a local business moments after the report said they loaded the material onto their truck and drove off. The Salisbury Police charged Timothy Mitchell Rippey, 46, and Joshua Lee Blackwelder, 24, both of the 3000 block of north U.S. 29, with one count misdemeanor larceny.
The incident occurred Sunday at 11:50 p.m. at Blast-It-All, 185 Piper Lane, Salisbury. Someone contacted law enforcement about someone stealing scrap metal. An officer drove past a vehicle matching the description given and stopped the occupants. The men told the officer they had permission to take the materials, which was not true. The report said Rippey and Blackwelder were in possession of $800 worth of metal. Both men were given a $1,000 secured bond and have since been released from the Rowan County Detention Center.
Rippey is expected in court later this month regarding charges for obtaining property by false pretenses. Rippey has previously been convicted of common law robbery, obtaining property by false pretenses, assault on a female, worthless checks, assault with a deadly weapon and cheating someone out of money, property or services.