Opinion: Here's the Real Reason Hoke County's Growth is Reckless and Unmanaged—Greed!

Here are public documents that prove three commissioner have financial interests in development and real estate. Let's start with a civil lawsuit leveled by the State Department of Transportation.

Hoke County Commission Chairman James A. Leach is among eight defendants in a civil court case tomorrow at 10 a.m. as the North Carolina Department of Transportation (DoT) seeks to secure property needed to expand the deadly stretch of NC 211 between Raeford and Aberdeen. Leach is one of the three owners of 0.76 acre at 769 Aberdeen Road—the location of Canyon Hills Treatment Facility—which the state is trying to claim under eminent domain.

The civil case will be heard at the Hoke County Courthouse, downtown Raeford. A court filing by the North Carolina DoT explains it notified owners and deposited $939,725 with the Hoke County Clerk of Superior Court on May 16, 2022, to compensate the defendants for taking their property. Contesting low offers in eminent domain cases is common and often warranted, but Hoke County currently assesses the property and building at $828,330. The state is offering roughly $100,000 more.

Canyon Hills Treatment Facility was built in 2014. It specializes psychiatric treatment of boys, aged 6 to 14, in a residential setting. It also provides education while patients are in residence that meets North Carolina public school standards. Micheaux Hollingsworth—also a co-defendant in the DoT lawsuit tomorrow—is owner and CEO. It is unclear whether Leach has a financial interest in the firm’s operations, but Hoke County’s GIS system clearly shows him as one of the three landowners (below).

Hoke County GIS listing Leach as one of three owners of the property. We blacked out previous owner history for privacy reasons.

The state’s civil lawsuit was originally scheduled to be heard in court on Oct. 25, 2024, but by mutual agreement of counsels it was moved to Jan. 13, 2025. That date was also vacated and rescheduled for March 17, 2025, 10 a.m. The full list of defendants in the civil case includes Robert Ray Locklear, his wife, and the spouses of Leach and Hollingworth, as well as Lumbee Guaranty Bank and Taylored Control Systems.

Leach was President of ACE Enterprises

On March 17, 2005, Leach signed a document General Warranty Deed. In it, the notary public certified that “…James Leach personally appeared before me this day and acknowledged he is the president of ACE Enterprise, Inc., an [sic] North Carolina Corporation.” [That portion of the page below]

ACE Enterprise registered its articles of incorporation with the North Carolina Secretary of State in September 2001 with Harry L. Southerland, Hoke County Commissioner, incorporator and president of the firm. The company received official notification on July 6, 2004, that the state was dissolving it due to being “…delinquent in delivering its annual report(s)”—eight months before the above document was signed. The company official dissolvement came in May 2005 and there are no annual reports available on the Secretary of State site for the nearly four years it operated.

Hunt/Leach Deal

On May 16, 2024, commissioners Tony Hunt and James A. Leach signed a deed of trust transferring ownership of properties. Tract 1 in the document is described as .64 acre in “August Estates” [Book 4221, Page 0006 Hoke County Registry]. Tract 2 is .74 acre, also in “August Estates” [same book and page].

Grady L. Hunt of Hunt & Brooks—also Hoke County’s attorney who sits in on commission meetings—prepared the document. [Upper portion of the Deed of Trust seen below].

THunt Construction

The above property exchange may be a business transaction for THunt Construction, which registered with the North Carolina Secretary of State office to do business in May 2021. Part of the company’s 2025 annual filing is below.

We’ve redacted local addresses for privacy reasons, but the office address is the same as the home of Tony Hunt, commissioner.

Southerland

Lash Development was registered with the North Carolina Secretary of State in 2020. Hoke County Commissioner Harry Southerland serves as president of the firm. The company’s 2022 report is below.

In late 2022 Southerland started another firm, Black Wall Street Development. Here’s the listing of company officials from the document on file with the North Carolina Secretary of State. [Addresses redacted again for privacy].

The Takeaway

With three of five commissioners heavily into real estate, construction and development—one with multiple companies in the industry—it’s obvious why Hoke County has outgrown critical infrastructure, including schools, water, sewer and roads. It’s not in their best financial interest to limit growth or invest in water lines, sewer lines or even schools.

The documents, all publicly available, also make it obvious why the commission has a vested interest in replacing planning committee members who recognize what they’re up to. In the meantime, we’re paying the price, along with our children and grandchildren.

Editor’s Note: We’ve spent considerable time amassing verified documents. Please let us know if you agree it’s time for change.