How did man on probation end up with 32 guns, 2,000 bullets? NC sheriff wants to know.

A hunch that an ex-convict was acting suspicious in Moore County uncovered a trove of weapons, ammo and narcotics in a Carthage home, Moore County Sheriff Neil Godfrey said.

A tweet sent out by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office reports 52-year-old Gene Edward Needham Jr. had more than 40 weapons at the time of his arrest, including 34 firearms and more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition. He was also found in possession of narcotics, according to a press release.

The Moore County’s Sheriff’s Office said they searched Needham’s home in Carthage, two hours east of Charlotte, on Friday. The search was prompted by a request for assistance from Moore County probation and parole officers, said Godfrey.

“We do everything we can to follow up with felons,” Chief deputy Frank Rodriguez told the Southern Pines Pilot. “If you’re a felon, you can’t even own one bullet...so I can’t really speak to how he got the guns at this time.”

Needham is now charged with one count of possession of a firearm by convicted felon, felony possession of schedule II controlled-substance, possession with intent to manufacture sell and deliver a schedule II controlled-substance, the maintaining of a dwelling for the storage of a controlled-substance and simple possession of a schedule IV controlled-substance.

He was in the Moore County Detention Center on Tuesday under a $200,000 secured bond.

Records show Needham has a history of arrests and has been convicted of death by vehicle, assault on a female, driving while impaired and schedule II drug possession. He was sentenced to probation after being convicted.

This story was originally published November 21, 2017 at 2:20 PM with the headline "How did man on probation end up with 32 guns, 2,000 bullets? NC sheriff wants to know.."