Arraignment moved to December for Newsoms man

Published 11:27 am Friday, October 25, 2013

COURTLAND—On Thursday in Southampton County Circuit Court, the judge granted a continued motion of defense in the case of a Newsoms man, who was arrested in July on several drug-related charges, including the possession of a gun with the sale of one pound or more of marijuana.

Kyle Lee Thorpe, 29, has a new arraignment date of Thursday, Dec. 12 in Southampton County Circuit Court. He’ll be formally charged then, barring any further continuations.

Thorpe, of the 34000 block of Monroe Road, was one of two arrests made July 17 in connection with a May 28 seizure of 99 marijuana plants found in Newsoms.

The other suspect, Joel Hedgepeth, 28, formerly from the 22000 block of Linden Street, Courtland, has already been found guilty by a judge at his trial on Sept. 17. Pre-sentencing for Hedgepeth is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 19, on four counts of selling and distributing marijuana and a drug sale on or near school property or a library. The felony charge of conspiring to sell and distribute was not prosecuted.

The charges that Thorpe is expected to face are conspiring to sell and distribute five pounds or more of marijuana, two counts of the sale and distribution of marijuana and a drug sale on or near school property or a library.

A bond of $25,000 each was made the day after Thorpe and Hedgepeth were charged and arrested.