A months-long fraud investigation by the Pinehurst Police Department has resulted in the arrests of two people facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges.
Michael Corneill Armour, 48, of Fayetteville, and Mitica Antionette Coleman, 38, of Raeford, were arrested Sept. 28 by the Fayetteville Police Department on warrants obtained by Pinehurst police detectives.
According to Pinehurst police, Armour was charged with two counts of felony financial card theft, one count of felony identity theft, two counts of felony obtaining property by false pretenses, three counts of misdemeanor financial card fraud and one count of misdemeanor larceny.
Armour was given a $20,000 bond and was being held at the Cumberland County Detention Center. He is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 1.
Coleman was charged with two counts of felony financial card theft, one count of felony aiding and abetting obtaining property by false pretenses and one count of felony aiding and abetting larceny.
She was given a $2,000 bond and is also scheduled to appear in court Oct. 1.
Pinehurst police said the arrests followed an investigation by department detectives that spanned several months. Police did not release additional details about the alleged thefts, including when they occurred, the amount of money involved or how investigators identified the suspects.
“Fraud cases often require detectives to follow a trail of small details through records, transactions and interviews,” Pinehurst Police Chief Glen Webb said. “Our detectives put in the time and careful work this investigation demanded. I’m proud of their persistence and their commitment to seeking accountability for the people affected.”
The Pinehurst Police Department thanked the Fayetteville Police Department for its assistance in taking Armour and Coleman into custody.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
A Moore County native who has spent more than 20 years telling stories across North Carolina and beyond. He’s worked with CNN, WRAL, and CBS 17, and now serves as a Video Journalist for ABC11. Patrick has a passion for breaking news and has earned multiple awards for his coverage. He’s also a certified NWS SKYWARN Storm Spotter and was among the first news videographers in the state to become an FAA-certified drone pilot.
