Hillsborough, NC – A man from Burlington was accused late Thursday of violating the North Carolina pandemic restrictions after Orange County deputies responded to a report of a large New Year’s Eve party in Hillsborough.
A tent was set up outside Palmers Grove Community Center at 1021 Palmers Grove Church Road, and lawmakers said about 100 people were inside.
Jacob Alfred Kurtis Bethea, who organized the party, called it the New Year in the Valley and promoted it on social media as “the biggest New Year’s party in the state,” authorities said.
Party attendees purchased tickets online before receiving the meeting address. Deputies found about 10 people armed with semi-automatic handguns that ensured the party’s security, and one even carried an AR-15 rifle, authorities said.
Bethea, 30, was charged with violating the executive’s orders on mass collection limits and operating an entertainment facility that should be closed. Deputies also served him with an outstanding warrant in Guilford County, accusing him of violating mass collection limits with a September event.
He posted on Facebook on Friday night: “Man, I made the news last night, yes, I was locked up because I had a party for people, but I don’t care that it’s f ****** new years we have to have fun “.
