01/10/11 — Dudley area suspect still sought by Duplin officials

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Dudley area suspect still sought by Duplin officials

By Staff Reports
Published in News on January 10, 2011 1:37 PM

Duplin County sheriff's deputies are continuing their search for a Dudley-area man who has managed to elude authorities since a Dec. 30 high-speed chase.

Ricky Simmons Carter Jr., 26, Legion Drive, Dudley, is being sought on multiple drug and other charges -- conspiracy to sell cocaine; conspiracy to deliver cocaine; felony elude arrest; felony manufacture of cocaine; maintain a vehicle for the purpose of selling cocaine; possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine; possession of firearm by felon; felony possession of cocaine; failure to yield to blue light and siren; possession of drug paraphernalia; and no operator's license.

Carter was the driver of a 1991 Nissan Maxima that was involved in a high-speed chase that started near Calypso in Duplin County and ended at Durham Lake Road at Dudley where Carter jumped from the car and fled into a nearby woods. He is believed to have entered a home in the area.

Members of the Duplin County Sheriff's Office Duplin Interdiction Criminal Enforcement team were preparing to make a traffic stop of Carter's car around 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 30 when the chase began.

The car sped off and deputies saw the suspects throw a handgun and a bag containing several rocks of crack cocaine out a window of the vehicle, Jones said.

Mount Olive and Warsaw police and Wayne County sheriff's deputies assisted in the chase.

Two passengers in the car were apprehended.

James Michael Hargrove Jr., 34, Hack Drive, Dudley, and Thomas Earl Oates, 37, Odom Farm Road, Dudley, remained in the car, said Duplin sheriff's Capt. Tim Jones.

Both were jailed in the Duplin County Jail under $4,000 bonds on charges of conspire to sell cocaine and conspire to deliver cocaine.