Pender County Sheriff’s Office says man arrested for failing to work may have more victims

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The Pender County Sheriff’s Office needs your help identifying more victims of a man in custody for not delivering on agreements.

The Sheriff’s Office charged Bruce Richard Matthews, 24, of Newport in Carteret County with one felony count of Obtaining Property by False Pretenses and one misdemeanor count of Fail to Work After Being Paid.

Matthews was arrested at his home in Carteret County today, Apr. 6. He will appear in Pender County Court on Monday, Apr. 10.

The investigation started when a Pender County victim reported he had paid $3,000.00 to Matthews and his mother, Kimberly Pate Matthews, to deliver building materials from old chicken houses that they would use to construct into a new refurbished barn. The Matthews and Moore family advertised the sale of old chicken house materials and construction jobs using Facebook Marketplace.

The victim says they received neither the materials, the construction of a barn, nor any reimbursement from the company, Moore Salvage and Removal Services, which is reported to be a business in Kinston.

A warrant has not yet been served for Kimberly Pate Matthews, who is listed as the owner/operator of Moore Salvage and Removal Services.

Detectives with the Pender County Sheriff’s Office say they have identified other victims scammed by Bruce Richard Matthews and Kimberly Pate Matthews and are in the process of involving other law enforcement agencies in the investigation, which covers several North Carolina counties.

If you have any information about other potential victims, please call Pender County Sheriff’s Office Detective-Sergeant Steve Clinard at 910-259-1437.

Any victims of this scam are asked to save all paperwork, business records, texts and emails as possible evidence.