By Nathan Hardin
nhardin@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — An Airport Road man was charged with nearly three dozen felonies Sunday after deputies said he stole as many as 22 model trains from his stepfather and sold them at a local pawn shop.
According to the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, 56-year-old Richard Wayne Carter, 3007 Airport Road, took model trains from his stepfather, Mack Byars, six times since March.
The report said Byars, who lives beside Carter, kept the toy trains in an outbuilding near the residence.
After responding to the burglary report, deputies traced the stolen trains to Frank’s Pawn Shop on North Main Street.
Receipts from the purchases came back in Byar’s stepson’s name, the report said.
Authorities said Carter initially broke into the outbuilding, stole and sold trains in October 2008.
Deputies said he began stealing again in March and did it almost once a week through April. The last incident was July 18.
An initial incident report said trains worth more than $3,000 were sold.
Carter was charged with 33 felonies on Sunday.
He was charged with 22 counts of felony obtaining property by false pretense, seven counts of felony breaking and entering, and seven counts of felony larceny.
He was given a $7,000 bond and was in jail on Monday.