A 25-year-old Charlotte man wanted on 21 counts of breaking and entering was captured without incident at a Whiteville motel. Colby Douglas Brown, who listed an address on North College Street in Charlotte, was taken into custody after Myrtle Beach police passed along a tip that he might be holed up at a motel in the Columbus County city.
According to warrants, the string of alleged break-ins did not actually occur in Whiteville, as reported by Columbus County News. Instead, Brown was wanted out of Mecklenburg County on the 21 breaking and entering counts, along with multiple counts of larceny, felony conspiracy, and failure to appear. Whiteville police said Brown was taken into custody without incident and was transferred into Charlotte police custody on October 11.
A Legal Exposure That Stacks Up Fast
The sheer number of counts facing Brown carries serious weight under North Carolina law. Breaking or entering a building with intent to commit a felony or larceny is a Class H felony under North Carolina General Statute § 14-54(a), carrying up to 39 months in state prison per count — meaning the 21 counts alone represent a substantial cumulative exposure under the state’s structured sentencing guidelines.
The larceny counts Brown faces carry similar weight. Larceny of property valued above $1,000, or larceny committed during a breaking and entering, is likewise a Class H felony punishable by up to 39 months in prison, per North Carolina General Statute § 14-72, according to the Powers Law Firm. Under that statute, theft tied to a break-in is automatically elevated to felony status regardless of the dollar value of what was taken…