Lawyer for former Sycamore co-owner confirms next step in the case against him
The Sycamore Brewing former co-owner accused of statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl did not appear in court Monday as planned.
Justin Brigham, 44, is accused breaking into a home about 30 miles east of Charlotte and raping his victim on Dec. 10. Brigham’s Monday morning court date inside the Stanly County Courthouse was continued to next month, said Missy Owen, Brigham’s attorney said. A previous hearing was also continued in December.
Brigham’s case is expected to go before a grand jury in March, a Stanly County deputy sheriff and Owen told The Charlotte Observer. A grand jury will decide whether to indict him on the charges he faces.
Brigham had met the victim online two weeks before going to the Stanfield, N.C., home, Stanly County Sheriff Jeff Crisco said. Brigham knew her age, Crisco said, and a warrant says others were in the home when he broke in.
Brigham faces nine felony charges , including burglary, statutory rape and assault. Court documents say he grabbed and twisted a man’s genitals, inflicting serious injury on Dec. 10.
Brigham has been held without bond in the Stanly County Jail since his December arrest. His wife, who was the co-owner of Sycamore Brewing, has filed for divorce and taken over the business.
She has begun rebranding Sycamore, which was once a Charlotte staple but has been boycotted by patrons and other businesses since Brigham’s arrest.
This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 1:23 PM.
