Officials charged a Salisbury man with possession of a counterfeit substance after he told them it was breadcrumbs, but tried to ditch it.

Michael Stevenson Hamilton, 37, of the 600 block of West Franklin Street, was charged with the felony Monday and remains in the Rowan County jail under a $1,500 secured bond.

Police responded to the area of North Shaver and East Cemetery streets to investigate a disturbance. The caller said he had been assaulted and gave police a description.

Hamilton matched the description of the person and police stopped to talk with him. When officers approached him, Hamilton turned and threw a plastic bag behind a telephone pole.

Officers found the bag. It had a white substance inside that Hamilton told the officer was breadcrumbs. The substance was clearly not breadcrumbs, police said.

The substance was tested using a field analysis device, but returned a negative reading. Hamilton then said a friend gave him the substance to sell. He told the officer he had court fines to pay.