Two men were charged Thursday with allegedly stealing metal from Weldon Cotton Gin.

Lieutenant Bobby Martin of the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office said Deputy James Rawls was investigating several thefts from the company when he was informed two men with metal were at United Salvage and Auto on Highway 903.

The metal which was identified by the owner.

Derrick Mallory, 36, from Roanoke Rapids, and Edison Smith, 48, from Halifax, were identified as the ones allegedly responsible for the theft.

Mallory was charged with felony larceny, felony possession of stolen goods, misdemeanor larceny, misdemeanor possession of stolen goods, obtain property by false pretense and conspiracy to commit a felony. He was jailed on $20,000 bond.

Smith was charged with larceny, possession of stolen goods and conspiracy to commit a felony. He was jailed on $15,000 bond. Both men have July 21 court dates.

Martin credited the he officers for identifying the people involved in the case and getting the property back to the owner. “The owner’s assistance in this case was also vital in the apprehension of these subjects. Deputy Willie Murphy had obtained a warrant on Mallory prior to this incident stemming from an earlier investigation into the metal thefts from the cotton gin. In all, this was a great team effort.”