LUMBERTON — A Maxton man was arrested Monday for failure to appear in Robeson County Superior Court and allegedly violating a judicial order to stay away from a location in Maxton that has been identified as a “nuisance” and a site of various criminal activities.

Wallace Locklear was served an order of arrest after failing to appear at a hearing presided over by Superior Court Judge J. Gregory Bell, according to a release from Special Agent Erin Bean, N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement’s public information officer.

“During his arrest, Defendant Wallace Locklear was found in possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia. He was taken to the Robeson County Detention Center and given a $500,000 cash bond for the failure to appear, and a $100,000 bond for the additional drug charges,” the statement reads in part.

Locklear was scheduled to appear in court after allegedly violating orders to stay away from a mobile home at 136 Jefferson Road in Maxton. Those orders came after a preliminary injunction on the property was issued Oct. 12 by Superior Court Judge Robert F. Floyd Jr.

The order “prohibited all parties from violating any state or county laws until the final determination of the action.” Violators of the order would be held in contempt of court.

Before the injunction was issued, Judge Bell issued a temporary restraining order, “which required the owners to abate all criminal activity,” according to the ALE statement.

The home “has been an issue” since he came into office in December 2018, Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said.

“It’s been a problem much longer,” Wilkins said.

The Sheriff’s Office is working to address an abundance of drug dwellings in the area, the sheriff said.

“The citizens living in this community have had to undeservingly endure the violence and noise associated with assaults, drug violations, and breaches of the peace occurring on this property,” Wilkins said. “We have tried to work with the owners of the Property to solve these problems; however, our efforts have been unsuccessful.”

According to Robeson County officials, the commencement of a Chapter 19 action was “a last resort to restore peace in the area.” Chapter 19 of the North Carolina General Statutes defines “nuisance” activities, and provides a civil remedy to rid communities of them.

“ALE is committed to assisting local communities and other law enforcement agencies through the use of our Nuisance Abatement laws, which gives us a civil tool to use in eliminating problem establishments where traditional law enforcement methods have failed,” said M. Shoaf, ALE Assistant special agent in charge.

The lawsuit was prepared by the Robeson County Attorney’s Office, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, and N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement’s Nuisance Abatement Team.