NEWTON, N.C. — The man accused of fatally shooting his business partner at the Old Hickory Tannery in June has now been formally indicted by a Catawba County grand jury.

Court records show 85-year-old Willard Gary Black of Hickory was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of 59-year-old Robert Roger Arguelles of Taylorsville. The indictment was handed down Monday, moving the case to Catawba County Superior Court.

Investigators say Arguelles was shot multiple times inside the Old Hickory Tannery on the afternoon of June 17. According to Newton Police, Arguelles had just met with company employees before the shooting. Authorities have previously said he was unarmed, found no evidence of any altercation before the gunfire, and described the shooting as an ambush.

Police say Black admitted to shooting Arguelles, and the suspected firearm was recovered at the scene.

The shooting came the same day a judge ordered Black to comply with a civil agreement requiring him to turn the business over to Arguelles. Court documents state Arguelles filed a lawsuit in 2024 seeking to recover about $300,000 he had loaned Black to help fund business operations.

Black remains free under the legal presumption of innocence unless proven guilty in court. His next court appearance is scheduled for August 17 in Catawba County Superior Court.