Two Gaston County residents face felony charges in Lincoln County. 32-year-old Dylan Alexander McClure of Alexis and 32-year-old Michael Vincent Canipe of Stanley were arrested by Lincoln County Sheriff’s Officers. McClure is charged with felony counts of larceny of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, larceny, and possession of stolen goods. Canipe is charged with felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

On Tuesday (September 5), deputies were dispatched to a location in the 2400 block of Laboratory Road in reference to the theft of a dump trailer valued at $11,000. Later that day the owner of the trailer contacted deputies after he obtained GPS information showing the trailer was located at a residence in the 1500 block of South NC Hwy 16 Business in Stanley.

Deputies responded to the address and spoke to the homeowner who allowed them to look at a trailer that had recently been stored behind the residence. Officers confirmed it was the trailer stolen from Laboratory Road.

Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division arrived on the scene to process the stolen trailer and discovered items on the trailer that appeared to belong to a trucking company. Detectives checked GPS coordinates for the trailer after it was stolen and determined the items on the trailer belonged to a business in the 600 block of Saint Matthews Church Road in Lincolnton.

Deputies identified the two suspects in this case as McClure and Canipe. McClure was incarcerated in the Harven A. Crouse Detention Center under a $20,000 secured bond. Canipe was jailed in the same facility under $10,000 secured bond. They both remained in jail as of earlier today (September 7). They’re both scheduled to appear in District Court September 26.

The investigation into the theft is continuing. Anyone with information concerning this case is asked to contact Detective Jon Propst at 704-732-9050, the Lincoln County Communications Center at 704-735-8202 or the Lincolnton/Lincoln County Crime Stoppers at 704-736-8909.