Criminal charges have been filed against the Town of Red Springs’ police chief and town manager. 

Red Springs Police Chief Ronnie Patterson and Red Springs Town Manager David Ashburn were charged on Tuesday will several offenses following a four month criminal investigation into the unlawful removal and disposal of personnel records from the Red Springs Town Hall, according to a press release from the Robeson County District Attorney’s Office.

The investigation was conducted by Erich Hackney of the Robeson County District Attorney’s Office and was requested by former Red Springs Mayor John McNeill “when portions of Patterson’s personnel file surfaced during his recent election campaign for Sheriff of Robeson County,” says the release. As a result of McNeill’s request, which alleged that personnel files has been removed from the town’s human resources department, an investigation was ordered by Robeson County District Attorney L. Johnson Britt, III to “determine if in fact any wrongdoing had occurred.”

The investigation reached Dunn, Southport, Bladenboro, Lilesville, Raleigh, Fayetteville, and Lumberton, the release says. The investigation ended on May 4 when Hackney served a search warrant on Red Springs Town hall for files and records relating to Patterson. Two large banker’s boxes that had been secured in the town’s vault, which were full of documentation pertaining to Patterson, were included in the search warrant. 

The investigation revealed “these two banker’s boxes were removed from the vault during Patterson’s election campaign by Ashburn in violation of the North Carolina Records Retention and Disposition Schedule,” states the release. This retention and disposition schedule is governed by state law and compiled by the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Division of Archives and Records and requires “certain records to be retained for specific periods of times and that after the prescribed time period, may be disposed in only one of four ways.”

“The investigation found that these documents were unlawfully removed from Town Hall between January 1, 2018 and February 28, 2018 by both Ashburn and Patterson. State law further prohibits town managers from having access to employee personnel records unless there is an open investigation,” the release says. The investigation was presented to the Robeson County Grand Jury by Hackney on September 4 with “True Bills of Indictment” being returned for both Ashburn and Patterson for the following charges:

Patterson:

  • 10 counts of unlawful removal of public records
  • 10 counts of conspiracy to commit removal of public records

Ashburn:

  • 10 counts of unlawful disposal of public records
  • 10 counts of unlawful removal of public records
  • 10 counts of conspiracy to commit removal of public records

According to the release, the specific records relative to these violations include:

  • “The sexual harassment investigative file on Welton Laranza Patterson (Ronnie Patterson) and Corena Locklear, a former employee of the Town of Red Springs, which includes case settlement information.”
  • “Documentation relative to the polygraph examination administered to Welton Laranza Patterson indicating ‘clear, consistent and remarkable physiological criteria indicative of deception’ in the sexual harassment investigation of Corena Locklear, a former employee of the Town of Red Springs.”
  • “Investigative file documentation relating to two (2) felonies of Accessory Before the Fact and Aiding and Abetting which were committed by Welton Laranza Patterson relative to a fraudulent Worker’s Compensation claim filed on behalf of Luke Humphrey, a former employee of the Town of Red Springs.”
  • “Documentation relative to the polygraph examination administered to Welton Laranza Patterson indicating ‘clear, consistent and remarkable physiological criteria indicative of deception’ in the case of two (2) felonies of Accessory Before the Fact and Aiding and Abetting which were committed by Welton Laranza Patterson relative to a fraudulent Worker’s Compensation claim filed on behalf of Luke Humphrey, a former employee of the Town of Red Springs.”
  • “Investigative file documentation relating to obstruction of justice committed by Welton Laranza Patterson relating to an investigation involving the United States Department of Justice; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.”
  • “Documentation relative to the polygraph examination administered to Welton Laranza Patterson in which he indicated deception in a case of obstruction of justice committed by Welton Laranza Patterson relating to an investigation involving the United States Department of Justice; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.”
  • “Federal litigation documents and court records in the case of Alma J. Brown, Administratrix of the Estate of Joseph Anthony Brown, plaintiff, versus Welton Laranza Patterson, individually and in his official capacity; and the Town of Red Springs, defendants, said case heard in United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.”
  • “Records and documentation relating to complaints, investigations, actions, summary and disposition relating to disputed employee grievances against the Town of Red Springs, said employee being Welton Laranza Patterson.”
  • “Records and documentation relating to attorney – client communications regarding Welton Laranza Patterson’s separation from employment by the Town of Red Springs.”
  • “Records and documentation from both the Town of Red Springs as well as the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission relative to Welton Laranza Patterson’s separation from employment by the Town of Red Springs.”

The investigation also revealed that Patterson had previously rented three storage units at Highway 211 Mini Storage Unit in Red Spring, according to the release. When Patterson’s past due rental fees reached $3,151, the content of his units were sold. The items discovered included “crime scene photos, firearms, narcotics, photos of various nude women, fingerprint files, criminal investigative files, handcuffs, ammunition, as well as the sexual harassment file relating to former employee Corena Locklear.”

Hackney served Orders for Arrest on both Patterson and Asburn on Tuesday, which were issued by the Robeson County Clerk of Superior Court’s Office after the grand jury session. Both were processed before a magistrate and allowed to sign written promises to appear on their charges on October 1. 

An investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are possible.