Lumberton man charged in littering case involving 71 tires
May 25—LUMBERTON — A 26-year-old Lumberton man was charged Saturday in connection to littering and dumping 71 tires on a property.
Jonathan West was charged with two counts of littering exceeding 15 pounds but less than 500 pounds, according to the Robeson County Sheriff's Office. West was placed in the Robeson County Detention Center under a $2,000 secured bond.
Deputies responded Saturday at about 4:33 p.m. to a report of someone littering on Old Whiteville Road outside of Lumberton. They observed that 71 tires had been dumped at the property.
"Just prior to the call, an individual was observed with several tires in the rear of a black Chevrolet S10 truck and also on an attached trailer," according to the Sheriff's Office.
The truck was located by deputies at about 7:30 p.m. on Old Whiteville Road. West was then arrested.
Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said county residents should refrain from littering, and those who don't will be charged.
"We continue to ask our residents to take pride in their county and get involved in the Clean & Green initiative," Wilkins said in a statement. "Personal responsibility for one's actions is a must and in cases such as this, we will bring forth criminal charges in an effort to deter and even stop littering in Robeson County."
Wilkins said the case is still under investigation and more arrests are possible.
The sheriff said the charges are separate because the dumping of the tires occurred in two trips on Saturday.
Robeson County environmental officers, who also enforce anti-littering laws, were "contacted to assist in environmental concerns," according to the statement.
"Under North Carolina's anti-littering law, individuals may be fined and face community service for intentionally and unintentionally littering. Intentional littering in the amount of 15 pounds or less is a Class 3 misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $250 to $1,000 and up to 24 hours of community service," according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.
"Unintentional littering in the amount of 15 pounds or less is an infraction punishable by a fine of up to $100 and up to 12 hours of community service," according to NCDOT.
