The Orange County Sheriff’s Office charged a Burlington resident for violating North Carolina gathering limits on New Year’s Eve, as he hosted an outdoor party to ring in the new year.

A release from the sheriff’s office Friday said Jacob Alfred Kurtis Bethea, 30, will face charges of violating the state’s executive order by operating an entertainment facility that led to a mass gathering.

Deputies responded Thursday night to a report of a large tent on the site of the Palmers Grove Community Center in Hillsborough. Upon arrival, they found around 100 people attending a New Year’s Eve party, which was later discovered to be advertised on social media as “the biggest New Year’s party in the state.” Party attendees purchased tickets online before receiving the address for the gathering. According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, ten people carrying semi-automatic handguns, including one who carried an additional AR-15, provided security for the event.

North Carolina’s current gathering limits for such outdoor events are 50 people, as Governor Roy Cooper outlined in modifications to his executive order when the state was in Phase 2. The limits carried over as North Carolina transitioned to Phase 3 of reopening as an attempt to limit the coronavirus’ spread. Orange County’s gathering limits mirror the state’s, as they have since September.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies also served Bethea with an outstanding warrant from Guilford County tied to an alleged violation of the state’s executive order on mass gatherings from September.

Bethea was released on a written promise to appear in court, with his first court date on the charges set for March 1, 2021.

Photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

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