UPDATED: Officials Report Political Sign Cut Down by Store Employee
Campaign maintains the sign was placed with permission and that charges should have been filed
"Seems when the social contract is broken it's usually by the same characters, the same people, responsible for the vast majority of crime, all the time," the Crisp for Sheriff 2026 campaign stated in a Monday, June 29 Facebook post requesting information about the identity of the individual who destroyed the 3'x5' sign.
The wooden sign had been installed on property belonging to Jolly's Food Mart on North Carolina Highway 86 North in Providence. On Saturday, June 27, the sign posts were still firmly anchored in the ground but the sign itself had been cut off and was lying on the ground.
According to a June 27 incident report, the Caswell County Sheriff's Office received a request that morning to investigate the vandalism of a campaign sign. The request was made by a Providence resident, Nathan Walker, who identified himself as a member of the campaign's sign committee.
State law limits the placement of campaign signs to private property, with the permission of property owners, until 30 days prior to an election, when signs may begin to be placed in the public right-of-way. Unlawfully removing, stealing, or defacing a political sign on someone else's private property is a Class 3 misdemeanor in North Carolina.
The details of the investigation are included in the June 27 incident report, which notes that the property owner, Ameendeep Jolly Singh* had requested that the campaign remove the large sign by Friday, June 26, granting permission for a smaller yard sign to be placed on the property instead.
Sherri Gwynn**, an employee at Jolly's explained to law enforcement on Saturday that she had been told by her boss, Singh, that he "wanted the sign gone this morning" so she had brought her chainsaw and cut it down.
No charges have been filed and the investigation has been marked closed.
"I have always believed that campaigns should be about experience, leadership, and a vision for the future - not rumors, division, or false accusations," Caswell County Sheriff Tony Durden said Wednesday morning in a statement from his campaign for reelection.
The Sheriff's statement continued, "The truth matters, and I hope we can move forward by focusing on the issues that are important to all citizens of Caswell County."
The Committee to Elect Eric Crisp maintains that the sign was placed with permission and that charges should have been filed and issued a statement you can read HERE.**
Tony Durden was appointed Sheriff of Caswell County in August of 2017 after the retirement of former Sheriff Michael Welch. Sheriff Durden was first elected in the 2018 general election.
Eric Crisp, a Republican from Prospect Hill is running against him in this fall's general election, which will be held on Tuesday, November 3. Early voting begins October 15, but absentee ballots will begin going out September 4.
Both Crisp and Sheriff Durden have announced their intentions to attend the September 19 Bright Leaf Hoedown in Yanceyville and plan to be at other community events throughout the summer. Both campaigns are also readily accessible online.
*This article was updated at 4:25pm 7/02/26 to correct a misspelling of the property owner's name, originally published as "Fingh".
**This article was updated at 10:47pm 7/15/2026 to replace the original headline and subhead, “Officials Report Political Sign Cut Down by Property Owner - According to law enforcement, the sign was removed at the direction of the property owner, not by vandals,” and to provide additional context by naming the employee and linking to a response from the Committee to Elect Eric Crisp. The update was prompted by a concern expressed that the original headline might be considered misleading and that the initial story did not adequately explore all angles.
Editor's Note
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