LEWISTON – A worker at Perdue’s processing plant in Lewiston allegedly took too much of a liking to the chicken products produced at the facility.

Wednesday night, the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office arrested Sherwin Neqwan Jenkins, 25, of Conetoe on the charge of employee theft. The Edgecombe County man also faces alcohol and drug related charges.

According to Bertie Sheriff’s Detective Sgt. Ed Pittman, information was received in regards to employee theft of finished chicken products. Along with Bertie Detectives Harris Williams and Eddie Hoggard, joined by four North Carolina ALE (Alcohol Law Enforcement) agents, Pittman set-up surveillance at the plant.

“We were able to observe an employee (later identified as Jenkins) enter a private vehicle on the Perdue property at which time he was seen taking finished chicken products out of his coat and placing them inside the vehicle,” Pittman said.

The suspect was approached and questioned by the officers.

Pittman added that an open container of alcohol and a small amount of marijuana were found in the vehicle as well as the stolen chicken products.

Pittman charged Jenkins with felony larceny by an employee as well as misdemeanor charges of possession of unsealed wine or liquor in the passenger area of a vehicle and possession of marijuana (up to one-half ounce).

Bond was set at $2,000 secured for the felony charge and $500 for the two misdemeanors.

Jenkins made his first court appearance on Thursday.

Perdue Plant Manager Jeff Stalls said someone alerted company officials to the theft.

“We basically followed up on information given to us in regards to someone taking products,” said Stalls.

Stalls said upon that information being received, the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office was contacted and an investigation was conducted with the results being the arrest on Wednesday night.

“We worked with them (BCSO) throughout the investigation and we will continue working with them,” he said.

Stalls thanked the Bertie lawmen for their help. Likewise, Pittman praised the ALE agents for their assistance in the surveillance and helping to make the arrest.

(Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald Staff Writer Amanda VanDerBroek contributed to this story.)