An Atlantic man arrested for misdemeanor theft now faces a felony charge in District Court for Carroll County. According to trial information filed Monday, Sept. 17, 34-year-old Richard Leonard Chickering has been formally charged with second-degree theft, a class D felony. The charge stems from incidents on Feb. 23 and Feb. 24, in which Chickering cashed two checks, valued at $846 and $700, without permission from the account holder. He was originally charged with two counts of third-degree theft, aggravated misdemeanors, but they were combined due to the amount and the short time-frame in which the crimes occurred. An arraignment hearing has been scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 27 at the Carroll County Courthouse. If found guilty, Chickering faces a maximum of $7,500 in fines and up to five years in prison.
