CHOCOWINITY — On Feb. 7, shortly after noon, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a breaking, entering and larceny from a residence on the Gray Road in Chocowinity.

A witness to a suspicious vehicle leaving her neighbor’s driveway alerted her neighbor by phone, and the break-in was subsequently discovered. Beaufort County deputies responded to the home to process the crime scene for physical evidence.

With little evidence to link anyone to the crime, investigators received a Crime Stoppers tip detailing the break-in, and those who committed the crime. Using that tip, investigators were able to recover most of the stolen property.

After conducting interviews of all three suspects and several witnesses, Investigator Jason Hill charged Justin Zane Jackson, 17, of Washington, Christopher Wayne-Malik Blackledge, 18, of Washington, and Ryan Shayne Williams, 18, also of Washington, with one count each of felony breaking and entering, one count each of felony larceny after breaking and entering, one count each of larceny of a firearm and two counts each of obtaining property by false pretense.

Jackson, Blackledge and Williams were served with the arrest warrants and ordered held under a $10,000 unsecured bond. Most of the property stolen was recovered and returned to the owner.