Lenoir County man sentenced for larceny, ID theft; faces extradition to Georgia

Michael Bridwell, 41, received prison sentences of 1 year and 4 months to 2 years and 5 months in prison after pleading guilty for larceny and obtaining property for false pretenses and approximately 1 and a half years to 2 years and 9 months for identity theft on Tuesday, April 1. The sentences will be served consecutively; he will be extradited to Georgia after his time is served in North Carolina, authorities say.

Bridwell was arrested Dec. 28, 2024, by Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office deputies for an arrest warrant out of Georgia. He gave authorities a false name and date of birth to try to avoid extradition and prosecution. Bridwell was soon identified and taken into custody for identity theft, as well as for the out-of-state warrant, authorities say.

On Jan. 8, the LCSO posted on its Facebook pages, asking for community assistance in identifying a vehicle involved with the theft of a wheelchair ramp from Rivermont Baptist Church on Dec. 28, 2024. Through many tips and leads, Bridwell was identified as the culprit, authorities say.

Bridwell was charged with the following:

• felony larceny.
• possession of stolen property.
• conspiracy to obtain property by false pretenses.