A Hickory man has been sentenced to six to nine years in prison for habitual larceny. 43-year-old William Eric Clark, was sentenced June 16 after entering guilty pleas to the charges and admitting his status as a habitual felon. Superior Court Judge Clifton H. Smith imposed the active prison sentence.

According to court records, Clark’s sentence was enhanced because of prior felony convictions, including habitual larceny convictions in Catawba County in 2015 and 2018, and a possession of heroin conviction in Iredell County in 2021.

Investigators said Clark stole multiple boxes of men’s underwear from a Hickory business during three separate incidents between Aug. 17 and Aug. 31, 2025. Authorities noted that Clark had several previous larceny convictions in Catawba County dating back to 2013.

In a separate incident on Oct. 19, 2025, Clark entered another Hickory business and removed anti-theft devices from a camera and a roll of film before concealing the items in his pants and leaving the store without paying, according to investigators.

Clark will serve his sentence in the custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Correction.

The theft investigations were conducted by Hickory Police Department investigators Justin Rogers and Jordan Hayes. Assistant District Attorney Kyle Smith prosecuted the case for the State.