Grand jury returns indictments in break-ins, assaults
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on April 7, 2006 1:48 PM
Two Wayne County men have been indicted by the Wayne County Grand Jury on numerous felony charges in connection with multiple break-ins during two weeks in October.
William Allen Jackson IV, 19, of O'Berry Road, Mount Olive, was indicted on six counts each of breaking and entering, larceny and possession of stolen goods and one count each of safecracking and attempted breaking and entering.
Jackson also was indicted on two charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Jackson eluded arrest until Nov. 9, when he was found in an apartment in Greenville. When he was brought to the magistrates' office in Goldsboro, Jackson escaped but was recaptured a block away.
The other man, Richard Allen Smith, 22, of Smith Logging Road, was indicted on six counts each of breaking and entering, larceny and possession of stolen goods and one count of safecracking.
Smith was also indicted on three counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was arrested Nov. 3.
Assault charge
A 42-year-old Goldsboro man has been indicted on a charge of felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill while inflicting serious injury.
Christopher Fitzgerald Branch of South Slocumb Street was accused of assaulting and cutting a woman on Feb. 5 in a Goldsboro restaurant. Shani DeVaughn told police that a man had broken glass containers and a light globe at the Waffle House at 502 N. Berkeley Blvd. and then kicked her in the jaw, head and abdomen and then cut her face and stomach with a steak knife.
Branch also was indicted on three misdemeanor charges, communicating threats, injury to real property and injury to personal property.
Sex charges
A Wayne County man has been indicted on six felony sex offenses, including three counts of a first-degree sex offense.
Gary Bradley Neal, 46, of Adams Road, Seven Springs, also was indicted on three counts of taking indecent liberties with a child on March 21, 2004.
Other indictments
During the monthly session, the grand jury handed up 111 true bills of indictment, including 33 on illegal drug charges.
Twenty-two people were indicted for such property crimes as burglary, breaking and entering, larceny and possession of stolen goods.
Nineteen indictments were returned on such fraud charges as forgery, uttering, false pretense, larceny by employee and embezzlement.
Nineteen more indictments were returned on illegal weapons charges.
Six people were indicted on assault charges, three each on robbery and traffic charges and one each on sex and arson charges.
Six people were indicted as habitual felons. If any are convicted, then the sentence would be lengthened significantly.
The grand jury could not act on two bills, because law-enforcement witnesses were not present.