Brian Paul Ledbetter
Robbinsville – Two men were arrested after a stolen sawed-off shotgun was discovered during a traffic stop.
At approximately 10:05 p.m. on June 28, a Graham County Sheriff’s Office deputy performed a traffic stop on a vehicle near the intersection of North Main Street and Rodney Orr Bypass. The deputy knew that one of the occupants of the vehicle, Brian Paul Ledbetter, 51, of the 100 block of Bert’s Creek Road, had an outstanding assault with a deadly weapon warrant and took him into custody without incident. He was allowed to sign a written promise to appear in district court and released.
A second deputy established probable cause for a roadside search during a conversation with Dylan Thomas Hooper, 40 of Murphy. During the search, deputies discovered a sawed-off, single-shot, 12-gauge shotgun. The weapon measured less than a foot long and was affixed with a homemade, forward grip. When the firearm’s serial number was run through Graham County Communications, it was discovered that the weapon was reported stolen from Macon County.
Hooper was taken into custody and charged with felony possession of a weapon of mass destruction, felony transporting of a weapon of mass destruction and felony possession of a stolen firearm.
He was issued a bond of $25,000 by the magistrate at the time of his arrest.
Additionally, Hooper appeared in Graham County District Court on July 1 on the charge of simple assault. His case was continued until July 19.