Eastern District of North Carolina
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced for Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Fayetteville man was sentenced today to 115 months in prison and three years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing a firearm. On January 19, 2021, Shawn Antonio McNeill, 34, pled guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
On October 24, 2018, while on patrol, an officer with the Fayetteville Police Department observed a Red Nissan Altima sedan pass him with a dark window tint and smelled an odor of marijuana as the car passed him. The officer turned around, and he observed the vehicle back into the driveway of a residence located on 7008 Radnor Street in Fayetteville and observed McNeill exiting the driver’s side. McNeill then proceeded to move towards the residence. Another officer on the scene shined his flashlight through the window and observed a firearm in plain view on the driver’s side floorboard. Officers subsequently towed and executed a search warrant on the vehicle and recovered a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun, a quantity of marijuana, a quantity of crack cocaine, a digital scale, and plastic baggies. Prior to this encounter, McNeill had been convicted of numerous felony offenses, including multiple prior convictions of firearm by felon.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Fayetteville Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Rhoades prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-CR-00104-FL.
Fayetteville Sex Offender Sentenced to More Than 16 Years After Trading Child Abuse Material OnlineRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Francis Brady of Fayetteville was sentenced today to 200 months in prison for possession of child pornography. On January 19, 2021, Brady pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and statements made during hearings, the investigation began in June 2015, when FBI agents in Louisville, Kentucky, seized the phone of a child exploitation suspect. The phone revealed multiple individuals with whom the Louisville suspect had traded images of child pornography and discussed sexually abusing children using the chat platform Kik. One of people used the display name “Horny Dad.” From June 2 to June 18, 2015, the Louisville suspect and the “Horny Dad” user had exchanged multiple images depicting child pornography and discussed what sexual acts they wished to conduct on the children.
Records requests revealed the “Horny Dad” user to be the defendant Francis Brady, of Fayetteville, NC. Internet IP records likewise showed that Brady had accessed the account from a business with open Wi-Fi access that neighbored a restaurant where he worked. Brady was determined to be a registered sex offender, following a 2006 conviction for Indecent Liberty with a Child, and his email address of record on the sex offender registry matched that for the Kik account. IP Records further showed that Brady accessed his Kik account using two Samsung S5 cell phones.
The FBI obtained a federal warrant for Brady’s cell phones, which they executed at Brady’s home on June 12, 2017, with assistance from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. Law enforcement seized the two cell phones, and Brady voluntarily turned over multiple other digital devices, including phones, computers, and memory cards.
During an interview, Brady admitted to using the “Horny Dad” account and that a thumb drive in his room would contain photos of prepubescent children and teenagers. Digital forensics revealed 750 images of child pornography on Brady’s devices, including almost 300 images that depicted children under 12.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.
This case was part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level. For more information about this important national project, Project Safe Childhood, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-0274-FL.
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Convicted Child Molester Indicted on Visa Fraud and False Statements in Immigration ProceedingsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging a man from Cumberland County, North Carolina, with visa fraud and making false statements in immigration proceedings.
According to the indictment, Roger Rene Diaz-Castellano, 53, a citizen and national of Honduras, knowingly made false statements in his Application for Temporary Protected Status (Form I-821) when he denied having ever committed a crime, when in fact he had committed indecent liberties with a child over a seven-year period between 2010 and 2017.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. Agents with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations, assigned to the Document Benefit Fraud Task Force, investigated the case as part of Operation False Haven. Operation False Haven is an ongoing initiative designed to identify and prosecute child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtained immigration benefits.
A Southport Man was Sentenced to More Than 12 Years ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Southport man was sentenced today to 151 months in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute five (5) grams or more of methamphetamine. On August 13, 2020, Kevin Joseph Boyle pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Kevin Joseph Boyle, 64, was stopped by Brunswick County Sheriff’s Deputies on a return trip from Charlotte, NC. The information presented showed that between July 20, 2019 and July 21, 2019, a GPS tracking device on Boyle’s truck indicated that Boyle traveled to Charlotte and then back towards Brunswick County. Once in Brunswick County, deputies with Brunswick County stopped Boyle’s truck after the vehicle crossed the center line of the highway. Boyle allowed law enforcement to search his truck. A K9 gave a positive indication for the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. Law enforcement found a magnetic box located in the rear passenger side tire well containing methamphetamine. Interviews from cooperating witnesses confirmed that Boyle travelled to Charlotte on a regular basis to resupply with methamphetamine and further confirmed that Boyle was a major source of methamphetamine in Southport.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Murphy Averitt prosecuted the case. This case is part of the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-cr-00013-M.
Wilmington Man Convicted of PCP Distribution PlotRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Wilmington man yesterday on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectible amount of phencyclidine (PCP), a quantity of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana and possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of PCP and aiding and abetting.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Rashawn Aki Simon, 46, utilized connections for a large-scale drug trafficking organization in New York City, New York to import various drugs into North Carolina for distribution for a number of years. In March, 2019, Rashawn Simon ordered multiple pounds of liquid PCP that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) along with Sampson County Sheriff’s Office intercepted while in-route to Wilmington, North Carolina where Rashawn Simon was awaiting its deliver. The DEA, Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office coordinated a controlled delivery that ultimately lead to Rashawn Simon’s arrest. During the trial, the testifying officers and agents stated uniformly that the seizure of PCP was the largest quantity of PCP that any of them had seen at one time. Conservatively, the quantity of PCP seized equated to thousands of individual doses.
Simon faces a sentence of up to life in prison when he is scheduled to be sentenced during the September 7, 2021 term of court.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan accepted the verdict. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office are the investigating parties in the case; Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Knott prosecuted and tried the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.7:19-cr-00074-FL.
Fort Bragg Marriage Fraud Arranger Sentenced for Marriage Fraud and ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – An ex-soldier from Fayetteville was sentenced today to 44 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. On August 18, 2020, Ebenezer Yeboah Asane, a/k/a “Ben” pled guilty to marriage fraud and conspiracy.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Asane, 37, operating from Fort Bragg and his home in Fayetteville, planned and organized the sham marriages of several foreign nationals from Ghana to U.S. Army soldiers based at Fort Bragg. The purpose of the conspiracy was for the foreign-born nationals to evade U.S. immigration laws and obtain lawful permanent residence status and for the soldiers to receive Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) to live off post, as opposed to the barracks.
Asane recruited additional soldiers into the fraudulent scheme to orchestrate photographs to give the appearance the marriages were legitimate and to submit false statements to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service in support of the sham marriages. Once charged, Asane also attempted to obstruct justice by asking a witness he knew had been called to testify to lie under oath.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The investigation of these cases is ongoing and being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Criminal Investigation Division at Fort Bragg and the EDNC Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel Diaz prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00423-FL-1.
Wilmington Man Sentenced to Nine Years for Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced today to 108 months in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On February 18, 2021, Harold Davon Leonard pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Leonard, 34, was the passenger in a vehicle that was stopped on December 25, 2019. While a Wilmington Police Department officer was with the driver, a second officer saw Leonard jump into the driver seat and attempt to put the vehicle in gear. When Leonard was ordered to exit the vehicle, he tried to push the officer and flee on foot. A struggle ensued and Leonard was ultimately detained. During the struggle, a vial containing more than 13 grams of Phencyclidine (PCP) fell from Leonard’s pocket. Following his arrest, a loaded 9mm handgun that had previously been reported as stolen was found under the passenger seat. At the time of the offense, Leonard had more than 20 prior criminal convictions, including 11 prior felony convictions, and was on active parole after having been released only 10 months earlier.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Wilmington office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Wilmington Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina implements the PSN Program through its Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-cr-00095-M.
Man Sentenced for Impersonating Homeland Security AgentRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Holly Springs man was sentenced today to one year of probation for impersonating an agent of the Department of Homeland Security. On February 19, 2021, Allen David Reinemund pled guilty to a one count criminal information charging him with Impersonation of an Officer or Employee of the United States. Reinemund was also ordered to pay a $500 fine.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Allen David Reinemund, 58, was operating a 1965 Shelby Cobra on US 401 in Fuquay-Varina, when he was stopped by the North Carolina Highway Patrol for speeding 80-mph in a 50-mph zone. When asked for his license, Reinemund told the trooper he “was on the job” and stated he worked for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in an effort to avoid a speeding ticket.
The trooper ultimately arrested Reinemund for impersonation and speeding. Doubling-down, Reinemund presented the Wake County District Attorney’s Office a photograph of a HSI ballistic vest with his name and badge indicting that he was an agent of HSI, in an effort to have his state charges dismissed.
HSI agents were contacted and obtained sufficient information to obtain a search warrant for the residence of Reinemund. During the execution of the search warrant, agents seized an HSI badge, a ballistic vest, and other law enforcement paraphernalia from Reinemund’ s home.
“Impersonating a federal agent is a serious crime, one that is not victimless and harms law enforcement officers’ ability to protect the public from scam artists and others who exploit people’s fear for no other reason than to enrich themselves,” said G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
“Playing cops and robbers is a game best left to kids, because impersonating a special agent is a serious crime that has even more serious consequences,” said Special Agent in Charge Ronnie Martinez, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in North Carolina. “The officers and agents of HSI work hard every day to protect this country and imposters, committing crimes and ruining our reputation, will not be tolerated.”
Mr. Acker made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. Homeland Security Investigations, HSI, Office of Professional Responsibility, and the North Carolina Highway Patrol investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel Diaz prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-15-M.
Rocky Mount Gang Member Receives Fourteen Years in Prison After Running from Police with a FirearmRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Rocky Mount man was sentenced today to 144 months in prison for possessing a firearm while on post-release supervision for a prior federal felony. This sentence is the result of a federal jury convicting Kalid Koron Ocean-Avent, 24, on a charge of possessing a firearm by a convicted felon on January 26, 2021.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Ocean-Avent, a member of the 9-Trey Bloods in Rocky Mount, led Rocky Mount Police Officers on a high-speed car chase through a residential neighborhood on January 16, 2020. After Ocean-Avent wrecked the car into several parked cars, officers found a firearm and marijuana amongst Ocean-Avent’s belongings. At the time of the incident, Ocean-Avent was serving a term of post-release supervision stemming from a federal drug charge the year prior.
In issuing a 120-month sentence for the conviction and a 24-month consecutive sentence for the revocation of supervision, the Court noted the immediate lack of respect for the law and the danger posed by Ocean-Avent’s repeated criminal behavior.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Rocky Mount Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys J.D. Koesters and Nick Miller prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:20-CR-17-D and 5:18-CR-487-D.
Pink Hill Man Sentenced to 6 ½ Years After Causing More Than $600 Million in Losses from Tobacco Smuggling and Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Pink Hill man was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for conspiring to commit money laundering and filing a false 2014 tax return, after he pled guilty to the charges on October 7, 2020.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Phil Caprice Howard, age 55, arranged on at least 221 different occasions for cut-rag tobacco to be transported by trucks from Wilson, North Carolina to an area on or near the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation Reservation (“Akwesasne Reservation”) as part of a conspiracy to smuggle the tobacco into Canada without paying Canadian federal excise duties and provincial taxes. The Akwesasne Reservation straddles the United States and Canada borders on both banks of the St. Lawrence River. Co-conspirators then smuggled the cut-rag tobacco over the St. Lawrence River and on to the Kahnawake Mohawk Nation Reservation in Quebec. There, the cut-rag tobacco was manufactured into contraband cigarettes. Many of the co-conspirators possessed ties to organized crime syndicates.
In all, the conspiracy smuggled more than 6 million pounds of cut-rag tobacco into Canada, resulting in a tax loss to Canada exceeding $600,000,000. Howard received payment in the form of cash and cigarettes that were driven back to the Eastern District of North Carolina, as well as in the form of wires, in all obtaining more than $2 million dollars in criminal proceeds, which he laundered through a series of financial transactions. Howard failed to file Forms 8300 for his receipt of cash. In addition, Howard failed to report his criminal profits on his tax returns, including by filing false tax returns for tax years 2014-2018. In all, the defendant’s tax crimes, which date back to tax year 2008, caused a tax loss to the United States of more than one million dollars.
“This prosecution demonstrates the far-reach of organized crime and the success of international and multi-district law enforcement cooperation in holding those individuals responsible for their criminal conduct, whether it be obstruction of justice, money laundering, or tax evasion,” said Acting U.S. Attorney G. Norman Acker III. “Our office will continue to vigorously pursue the investigation and prosecution of such crimes.”
“To build faith in our nation’s tax system, honest taxpayers need to be reassured that IRS Criminal Investigation is diligent when it comes to enforcing the tax laws, such as Howard’s attempt to underreport his income,” Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Charlotte Field Office Mona Passmore stated. “By joining forces with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to investigate financial related crimes, the IRS uncovers tax crimes which are equally as important to pursue.”
Howard also provided false testimony under oath to a federal grand jury investigating federal crop insurance fraud as part of a joint investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
“Truthful testimony to a federal grand jury is a critical part of any criminal investigation including this investigation which involved in part Federal Crop Insurance Program fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason M. Williams for U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG). “The sentencing in this case emphasizes that giving false statements is an obstruction to the administration of justice and will not be tolerated.”
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III ordered Howard to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $1,062,192 in restitution to the United States. Howard was also ordered to forfeit $2,232,814 as proceeds of his money laundering activity.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. USDA-Office of Inspector General and IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case, with assistance from Canadian Border Services Agency – Enforcement and Intelligence Operations Division, Intelligence Section; Surete du Quebec Police; the Buffalo Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Office and HSI Massena’s Border Enforcement Security Task Force; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Charlotte Field Division; and the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of New York and the Western District of New York. Former Assistant United States Attorney Banumathi Rangarajan and Tax Division Trial Attorney Will Guappone prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:18-cr-60. Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the Division’s website.
Pender County Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery of Scotchman Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. –A Pender County man was sentenced today to 91 months in prison and five years of supervised release for robbery affecting interstate commerce and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and other evidence, Dontee Deshawn Forte, 21, and a co-defendant went to the Scotchman gas station and convenience store in Burgaw on June 4, 2019 and robbed the store. Forte’s co-defendant entered the store and held the clerk at gunpoint while he demanded money. The clerk opened the cash register and the co-defendant took the money out of the register. Forte drove the co-defendant to the store to effectuate the robbery and was going to be the get-away driver. However, the co-defendant ran the opposite direction from where the car was parked and Forte drove away from the scene without his co-conspirator.
The store clerks were able to describe the car that fled the area which enabled officers with the Burgaw Police Department to locate the car very shortly after the robbery. Forte was with the car and was detained for questioning. Forte’s co-defendant was found a short time after the robbery walking within 3 blocks of the Scotchman. The co-defendant was wearing clothing consistent with the robber’s description. Officers found money from the store on his person as well as a firearm. The firearm belonged to Forte’s sister. Both men were transported to the Burgaw Police Department. Forte was found in possession of Xanax pills that were hidden on his person and provided a statement to law enforcement. After first denying any knowledge of the robbery, he ultimately told law enforcement that he dropped off his co-defendant, who was armed with a weapon, at the Scotchman and went back home.
Forte had prior convictions for Discharging a Weapon Into an Occupied Vehicle. According to law enforcement, Forte was a validated gang member.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Burgaw Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-cr-00080-M-1.
New Bern Gang Member Receives 114-Month Sentence for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A New Bern man was sentenced yesterday to 114 months in prison for the distribution of cocaine, cocaine base (crack), heroin, and methamphetamine. On December 28, 2020, Jajuan Rashad Harrell pled guilty to one charge of distribution of a controlled substance.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Harrell distributed several narcotics during operations conducted by law enforcement in Pamlico County. These controlled purchases happened over a years’ time, in which Harrell sold cocaine, cocaine base (crack), heroin, and methamphetamine. Investigators conducted these operations as part of a larger effort by state and federal authorities to root out drug activity in Pamlico County.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the District Attorney’s Office for the Prosecutorial District 4 assisted with the investigation of the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys J.D. Koesters and Lucy Brown prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-CR-23-M.
High Speed Chase and Shooting at Police Leads to Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Johnston County man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On October 22, 2020, without a plea agreement, Justin Lynn Chapman pled guilty to the indictment which charged conduct that concluded on November 30, 2018.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on November 30, 2018, troopers with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (SHP) in Raleigh, North Carolina, conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for a false license plate. The vehicle pulled off to the shoulder of the road; however, as the trooper approached the driver, the vehicle drove away.
The vehicle passed several vehicles in no passing zones, ran numerous stop signs, traveled left of center, and reached speeds of 110 mph. During the pursuit, the passenger, Chapman, partially exited the vehicle’s sunroof with a firearm and fired five shots at the pursuing patrol vehicle. As the vehicle fled down rural roads, Chapman continued to exit the sunroof and fired an additional nine shots toward the patrol vehicles. The SHP requested assistance from the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office in Smithfield, North Carolina, who deployed stop sticks on the roadway. The fleeing vehicle’s tires were punctured and after a short distance the vehicle came to a stop.
Chapman fled the vehicle and after a brief man hunt was captured. A search of Chapman’s person recovered a 9mm handgun with a 30-round extended magazine. Chapman was interviewed subsequent to his arrest and admitted to discharging his weapon at the patrol vehicle.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, and The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, And Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel W. Smith prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-CR-00376-D.
Clinton Kidnapping Results in Decades of Imprisonment for Three Sampson County MenRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Three Sampson County men were sentenced yesterday to a total of 916 months in prison, collectively, for the kidnapping and torture of two victims, one under the age of eighteen.
On August 26, 2020, Ethan Gabriel Autry, 21, pled guilty to one charge of aiding and abetting kidnapping. On December 17, 2020, Leonard Edward Wilson, III, 23, and Isaiah Jeremiah Fennell-Best, 21, pled guilty to one charge of aiding and abetting kidnapping.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Autry, Wilson, and Fennell-Best, along with other co-conspirators, lured the two victims into Autry’s apartment in downtown Clinton over a disputed debt. After locking them inside the bedroom, Autry, Wilson, and Fennell-Best engaged in a three-hour “torture session,” holding the victims at gunpoint and physically beating them with objects. During this time, Autry, Wilson, and Fennell-Best made phone calls to the victims’ family, demanding a ransom. After the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office and Clinton Police Department were notified, authorities underwent an operation resulting in the safe recovery of the victims and the capture of Autry, Wilson, and Fennell-Best.
The investigation later showed the firearms Fennell-Best and Wilson used during the kidnapping were the same firearms the men used to shoot into a residence on Byrd-Yancey-Bass Road less than twenty-four hours before. There, Fennell-Best and Wilson shot several rounds of ammunition into an occupied home, hitting two victims.
As a result of their actions from this short period of time in October of 2019, the Court sentenced Autry to 274 months’ imprisonment; Wilson to 306 months’ imprisonment; and Fennell-Best to 336 months’ imprisonment. As the Court noted, these extensive sentences reflected the horrific nature of these crimes and the need to protect the public this type of behavior.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, Clinton Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and District Attorney’s Office for the Prosecutorial District 5 assisted with the investigation of the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney J.D. Koesters prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-CR-23-M.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced for ArsonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – David Daniel Thomas was sentenced today to 71 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release for arson. In addition, he received 33 months on a supervised release revocation from a prior federal conviction that is to be served at the expiration of his arson sentence. Thomas will also pay $6,000 in restitution. On February 25, 2021, Thomas pled guilty to an indictment charging him with arson.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Thomas, 24, was living with the victim in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in December 2019. In the early morning hours of December 14, 2019, the defendant and the victim began arguing. The defendant attempted to set the victim’s car on fire by inserting a rag into the fuel filler and lighting it, however, he was unsuccessful in starting a fire. The argument resulted in the victim leaving the apartment with her son and calling law enforcement. When the officers arrived, the victim came back to her apartment. The officers were unable to contact the defendant, who had left the area. The victim spoke to law enforcement and then left the apartment complex again.
After the victim and law enforcement left, the defendant returned to the apartment. He removed his belongings from the apartment and then started a fire in the closet of the victim’s bedroom. The fire quickly spread throughout the apartment and destroyed all the victim’s personal belongings. Law enforcement and fire investigators found the defendant’s belongings in a wooded area nearby and retrieved the surveillance footage of the apartment complex. The surveillance footage showed the defendant removing his personal belongings and going in and out of the apartment right before it was engulfed in flames.
The Fayetteville Fire Department was able to contain the fire to one apartment. Thankfully no one was injured during the fire. The occupants of the surrounding apartments were notified by other residents of the apartment complex and were able to get out of their homes safely.
The Fayetteville Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the fire. They determined the fire was intentionally set and originated in the closet of the master bedroom.
Thomas was arrested two days later and confessed to trying to set the victim’s car on fire. He initially denied setting the apartment fire but ultimately admitted to lighting a pair of the victim’s jeans on fire and said the fire got out of control.
At the time of the arson, Thomas was on supervised release for a prior federal conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, 280 grams or more of cocaine base and a quantity of marijuana. Thomas’ supervised release was revoked for the new criminal conduct.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fayetteville Fire Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-CR-374.
Oxford Man Sentenced to Fourteen Years in Federal Prison on Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – An Oxford man was sentenced yesterday to 169 months in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Quantities of Heroin, Fentanyl, Cocaine, Cocaine Base (Crack), and Marijuana, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Jaleel Duncan, 29, was a passenger in a car that was the subject of a traffic stop by the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) in Oxford, North Carolina. When the car stopped, Duncan jumped and ran from the vehicle carrying a bag. An ALE agent chased Duncan through a neighborhood and saw him throw several items from the bag as Duncan ran. Duncan then threw the entire bag over a fence. ALE agents eventually apprehended Duncan and recovered the bag, which contained a loaded 9mm pistol and marijuana. Along Duncan’s flight path, agents found heroin laced with fentanyl, methamphetamine, and quinine, as well as quantities of cocaine, cocaine base (crack), and marijuana. On February 2, 2021, Jaleel Duncan, pled guilty to the charges.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, and the Oxford Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-CR-202-M.
Las Vegas Business Owner Sentenced to More Than 14 Years in Federal Prison for Orchestrating $13 Million Fraud Upon the North Carolina Medicaid ProgramRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Latisha Harron, a Las Vegas resident, was sentenced today to 170 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $13,396,921.64 in restitution to the North Carolina Medicaid Program on charges of Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud and Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349; Aggravated Identity Theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A; and (5) Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(h). The court also sentenced Harron to forfeit various assets as a part of her case. Court documents reflect that forfeitable items include up to $13,396,921.64 in cash, a British Aerospace Bae 125-800A Aircraft, a 2017 Aston Martin DB 11 sports car; a 2016 Ford F-150 Super-Crew pickup truck; real property held in the name of Assured Healthcare Systems in Hertford County, North Carolina; real property located in Charles County, Maryland; as well as various other items of designer jewelry and luxury items seized from the defendant’s penthouse condominium in Las Vegas.
Acting United States Attorney G. Norman Acker, III, stated, “This case demonstrates the resolve of this office to bring healthcare fraud artists to justice – wherever they are found; pandemic or no pandemic. The ultimate reward of fraud is not a life of luxury, but years of life lost to federal prison.”
According to court documents, Harron, also known as Latisha Reese Holt, 44, originally from Eastern North Carolina, admitted to conspiring with her husband to carry out a massive fraud upon the North Carolina Medicaid Program (“NC Medicaid”) by billing the government for fictitious home health services. Harron admitted to then working with her husband to launder the proceeds of the fraud into, among other things, a private jet, luxury jewelry and clothing, and properties in Ahoskie and Rich Square, North Carolina.
According to the charges, Harron created, and was operating, Agape Healthcare Systems, Inc. (“Agape”) an alleged Medicaid home health provider, in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. As charged, to enroll Agape as a Medicaid provider, Harron fraudulently concealed her prior felony conviction for Identity Theft. In 2012, Harron moved out of North Carolina to Maryland. Despite that move, Harron continued to bill NC Medicaid as though Agape was providing home health services to North Carolina recipients.
As charged, in May of 2017, Harron moved to Las Vegas, Nevada to live with codefendant Timothy Mark Harron, and that the two were married in 2018. The indictment alleges that Timothy Harron was also a previously convicted felon, and that this fact was concealed from the NC Medicaid on enrollment documents. Latisha Harron pleaded guilty to allegations that Harron and her husband then worked together to expand the Agape fraud upon NC Medicaid, by fraudulently billing the program for more than $10 Million, just in the period between 2017 and 2019.
As charged, Harron admitted that she and her husband carried out the fraud by exploiting an eligibility tool that was entrusted only to NC Medicaid providers. Specifically, Harron and her husband searched publicly available sources, such as obituary postings on the internet by North Carolina funeral homes, to locate recently deceased North Carolinians. Harron admitted that the two would then extract from the obituary postings certain personal information for the deceased, including their name, date of birth, and date of death. Then, utilizing the extracted information, the defendants would then query the NC Medicaid eligibility tool to determine whether the deceased individual had a Medicaid Identification Number. If the deceased North Carolinian had a valid Medicaid Identification Number and was otherwise eligible for Medicaid coverage during their life, the defendants would use that individual’s identity to “back-bill” NC Medicaid, through Agape, for up to one year of fictitious home health services that were allegedly rendered prior to the death of the individual. NC Medicaid then disbursed millions to Agape, all of which flowed into accounts controlled by the Harron and her husband.
Harron admitted that she and her husband carried out the fraud via the internet from locations around the globe, including their corporate office building in Las Vegas, their penthouse condominium in Las Vegas, a corporate office in North Carolina, and from various hotels and luxury resorts in and outside of the United States.
Harron further pled guilty to laundering the proceeds of the Agape fraud into various luxury items. These expenses included a $900,000 wire for the purchase of a British Aerospace Bae 125-800A private jet, hundreds of thousands of dollars in Tiffany & Co. and Brioni clothing and jewelry, thousands of dollars on Eastern North Carolina business properties, and thousands of dollars in gym equipment.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II announced the sentence. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Investigations Division, all investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Gilmore served as the prosecutor. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Harris represented the United States with respect to forfeiture aspects of the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00005-M-1.
Armed Gang Member Sentenced to 121 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Mikal Huff, 19, of High Point, was sentenced on Friday May 14, to 121 months in prison for: 1) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Heroin; 2) Distribution of a Quantity of Heroin and Aiding and Abetting; 3) Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. On December 16, 2020, Huff pled guilty to these charges.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, on November 14, 2019, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit in an undercover capacity ordered a quantity of heroin from Shyreek Thatch. Thatch and Huff left an apartment on Park Avenue in Wilmington, North Carolina and arrived at a meeting location. Law enforcement attempted to arrest Thatch and Huff when they arrived. Both fled on foot. Thatch was arrested after he threw down the heroin. Huff slipped near a park car and lost his shoe and a loaded .40 caliber handgun. Huff was arrested shortly after thereafter.
The Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant on the Park Avenue apartment following the arrest of Thatch and Huff. Law enforcement found more than half a kilogram of a fentanyl/heroin mixture, almost two ounces of methamphetamine, and a quantity of crack cocaine, more than $4,000.00 (including money from a prior controlled purchase by law enforcement) and a loaded .40 caliber handgun. Two other persons were arrested at the residence.
The investigation uncovered that Thatch and Huff had transported drugs from the High Point area for distribution in New Hanover County. Huff, a validated gang member, was responsible for providing armed protection for the drugs while they were transported and sold. Huff was on probation for Discharging a Firearm into an Occupied Property at the time of his arrest.
Shyreek Thatch was sentenced previously for his role in this drug trafficking organization and received a prison sentence of 108 months in prison.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This OCDETF focuses on a Multi-State Drug Trafficking Organization and Gang Activity that has been responsible for the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine throughout the United States.
G. Norman Acker, III, acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing before U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wilmington Police Department, and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-cr-00105-D.
Raleigh Man Sentenced for Firearm Offense After Reoffending on State ProbationRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Tauheed Rochelle of Raleigh was sentenced today to 58 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. On December 21, 2020, Rochelle pled guilty to the charge. At the time of his arrest, Rochelle was on state probation for two felony drug offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 5, 2019, Raleigh Police Department officers responded to a suspicious vehicle call on Tamarino Drive in Raleigh—a location where multiple recent breaking and entering crimes had been reported. As the officers approached, they recognized the car as a Dodge Charger belonging to Rochelle, who they were familiar with from prior encounters. As the officers walked to the car, they smelled marijuana and saw Rochelle throw marijuana from the driver’s side window. Officers instructed Rochelle to place his hands on the steering wheel and noticed a large bag of marijuana at the Defendant’s feet, as well as marijuana crumbs on his lap. When asked whether there was a gun in the car, Rochelle responded, “I don’t know.”
Officers searched the car. In Rochelle’s driver’s seat, they saw that he had been sitting on a black sweat suit jacket that matched the pants he was wearing. The right pocket was pushed between the seat and center console. In that pocket, officers found a .40 caliber handgun. Officers also recovered two digital scales, a marijuana blunt, and in the trunk, a large packaging envelope with marijuana residue.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Since 2017, the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
That effort has been implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices in those communities on a sustained basis to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Raleigh Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00206-FL.
Rocky Mount Tax Return Preparer Sentenced for Conspiracy to Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Rocky Mount, NC woman was sentenced yesterday to twenty-four (24) months imprisonment and ordered to pay $229,000 in restitution for committing conspiracy to prepare and file false tax returns.
According to court documents, Priscilla Evans, 65 years old, conspired with others to file false tax returns for the 2011 through 2016 tax years for clients of Community Tax Services LLC located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Evans and her co-conspirators filed tax returns that claimed false education credits, among other illegitimate items, in order to fraudulently generate clients’ tax refunds. According to the IRS, the three-year scam resulted in a loss of more than $2 million in tax dollars. On July 14, 2020, Evans pled guilty to the charge.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) assisted in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:19-CR-00077-2FL.
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Former VA Employee Sentenced for Conspiring to Accept BribesRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Hope Mills man, Daniel Bruce Ross, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for conspiring to accept bribe payments in exchange for the performance of official acts while working as a federal government employee. Ross previously pled guilty to the charge. He was also ordered to pay $21,520.00 in restitution.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Ross worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in Fayetteville as an agent for the Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant program, which provides federal funds to eligible veterans with certain severe, service-connected disabilities for the purpose of constructing adapted homes or modifying existing homes. SAH agents have day-to-day responsibility for managing the grant program, including recommending action on grant applications to VA supervisory officials. Among other things, SAH agents are required to inform the veteran that he or she may choose their own builder. Agents are prohibited from recommending a particular builder.
During the offense period, Ross was the assigned SAH agent for multiple grant projects awarded to All American Home Renovations (AAHR), a Fayetteville-based construction company then-owned and operated by Marc Schantz. According to the investigation, Ross abused his position as an SAH agent to steer over $1 million worth of grant projects to AAHR in exchange for monetary payments from Schantz. For example, Ross routinely advised his VA supervisors to approve grant awards to veterans in which AAHR was improperly and deceptively designated as a particular veteran’s “builder of choice” when, in fact, Ross had misled the veteran to believe that AAHR had been selected for them by the VA. AAHR concealed the unlawful payments to Ross by transferring the funds to a dormant business owned by Ross, making it appear as if the business was providing legitimate subcontracting services to AAHR.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00037-FL.
Acting U.S. Attorney G. Norman Acker, III Recognizes Police WeekRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – In honor of National Police Week, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina G. Norman Acker, III recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Sunday, May 9 through Saturday, May 15, 2021.
“This week is a time to honor our law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation,” said Attorney General Garland. “I am constantly inspired by the extraordinary courage and dedication with which members of law enforcement act each day, putting their lives on the line to make our communities safer. To members of law enforcement and your families: we know that not a single day, nor a single week, is enough to recognize your service and sacrifice. On behalf of the entire Department of Justice, you have our unwavering support and eternal gratitude.”
“During Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of police officers from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment in keeping our communities safe,” said Acting United States Attorney Acker. “I want to acknowledge the work performed by federal, state, and local law enforcement, who often face uncertain and dangerous situations without question and without expectation of thanks. We want them to know they have our unwavering support and appreciation.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment to keeping our communities safe. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted law enforcement officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities that they have sworn to serve.
During the Roll Call of Heroes, a ceremony coordinated by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), more than 300 officers will be honored. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), of the law enforcement officers who died nationwide in the line of duty in 2020, nearly 60 percent succumbed to COVID-19. Here in the Eastern District of North Carolina, two officers died in the line of duty.
Additionally, according to statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 46 law enforcement officers died as a result of felonious acts and 47 died in accidents in 2020. LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website.
The names of the 394 fallen officers who have been added in 2020 to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Thursday, May 13, 2021, during a Virtual Candlelight Vigil, which will be livestreamed to the public at 8:00 pm EDT. The Police Week in-person public events, originally scheduled for May, have been rescheduled due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns to October 13-17, 2021. An in-person Candlelight Vigil event is scheduled for October 14, 2021.
Those who wish to view the Virtual Candlelight Vigil on May 13, 2021, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNLEOMF. The FOP’s Roll Call of Heroes can be viewed at www.fop.net. To view the schedule of virtual Police Week events in May, please view NLEOMF’s Police Week Flyer.
To learn more about National Police Week in-person events scheduled for October, please visit www.policeweek.org.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Jacksonville man was sentenced today to 360 months in prison for sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. On September 24, 2020, Jesse Gabriel Marks pled guilty to the charges. The sentence also requires Marks to pay $249,700 in restitution to multiple victims.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Marks, 38, prostituted hundreds of women, including at least one minor, over nearly two decades. He used drugs, including heroin and methamphetamine, to keep them dependent on and prostituting for him. After meeting Marks, many victims either developed addictions or deepened their addictions, ruining their health and, in many cases, their lives. Marks physically and emotionally abused many of the victims. He also gave women drug cocktails without their full knowledge and, once they were unconscious or nearly unconscious, sexually assaulted them. He recorded many of those sexual assaults on video.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Jacksonville Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin C. Blondel and Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:19-CR-127-D.
Snow Hill Man Sentenced to 18 Years for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Snow Hill man was sentenced today to 216 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fifty (50) Grams or More of Methamphetamine and Distribution of Fifty (50) Grams or More of Methamphetamine. In addition, he was fined $10,900.00 by the court.
According to court documents, Roderick Derrell Jones, a/k/a “Coffee” and “Base,” 41, distributed a total of over ninety (90) grams of crystal methamphetamines during three controlled purchases in April and May of 2020. The methamphetamine seized during those deals was either 99% or 100% pure.
Special Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) also learned that Jones was seeking assistance with a planned armed robbery. Jones had commented that he would be willing to put a gun to the head of an infant child in order to extract more money from the intended victim. ATF utilized an informant to meet with Jones in order to divert his attention from an actual victim, and instead arrested him when he was in route to another planned armed robbery. He was found in possession of a firearm that day.
Jones was previously convicted in State Court in 1997 of Common Law Robbery and in 2002 of Second-Degree Rape and of Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon. He was also convicted of three counts of Indecent Exposure between 2016 and 2018.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Kinston Police Department and the ATF investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura S. Howard prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:20-cr-00061-M-1.
Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 24 YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – An Elm City man was sentenced today to 288 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine base (crack), and marijuana.
According to court documents, Marquavious Harold Carr, 31, was named in an 11-count indictment on June 13, 2018. He was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack), a quantity of cocaine, and a quantity of marijuana (Count One); distribution of a quantity of heroin (Counts Two and Three); possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, and aiding and abetting (Count Four); distribution of a quantity of cocaine, and aiding and abetting (Count Five); and possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack) and a quantity of cocaine, and aiding and abetting (Count Eight).
On February 5, 2019, Carr pleaded guilty to Counts One and Eight.
The investigation established that Carr was the leader of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, cocaine base (crack), heroin, and marijuana between August 2017 and June 2018 in Nash, Edgecombe, and Wilson counties. Carr and seven other individuals were convicted in federal court for their participation in the conspiracy.
Carr, who was a high-ranking member of the Crips street gang, directed and controlled the activities of the drug trafficking organization even while he was incarcerated in the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections (NCDAC).
The investigation showed that on November 10, 2010, Carr was convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter in Wilson County and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 92 to 120 months. He was released to post-release supervision on May 20, 2017.
On September 13, 2017, agents observed a vehicle committing traffic violations. Officers initiated a traffic stop and smelled an odor of marijuana. Carr, who was driving, stepped out of the vehicle and dropped a digital scale. The scale had a small amount of white residue, which Carr attempted to wipe off with his t-shirt, but the residue tested positive for cocaine.
On November 28, 2017, officers went to a house on Mill Branch Road in Rocky Mount to execute a search warrant. Officers saw a cooperating defendant meeting with Carr outside. Upon seeing officers, the cooperating defendant threw a “brick” (approximately 1 gram) of heroin to the ground.
Carr drove away from the residence, and in the process, he struck a deputy with the Nash County Sheriff’s Office. Carr continued to flee at a high rate of speed, forcing at least one other vehicle off the road. Carr eventually lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a utility pole. Carr ran from the vehicle, but he was apprehended after a short chase.
A search of Carr’s vehicle revealed 500 bindles (7.37 grams) of heroin. Carr was also found in possession of $1,223.00. In the driveway where Carr and the cooperating defendant were meeting, officers located additional heroin, 13.7 grams of crack cocaine, 13.7 grams of cocaine, 17 grams of marijuana, as well as pills.
The Defendant’s post-release supervision was revoked, and he returned to NCDAC custody. But Carr then used recorded jail telephones to continue directing and controlling the drug trafficking organization.
Agents reviewed dozens of telephone calls in which Carr directed the distribution of drugs and the collection of thousands of dollars of currency. Carr also gave instructions to co-conspirators regarding firearms.
In total, Carr was responsible for the distribution of more than 400 grams of heroin, more than 850 grams of cocaine base (crack), more than two kilograms of cocaine, and more than 700 grams of marijuana. He received enhancements for leadership and reckless endangerment.
The Defendant’s co-defendants have all previously been sentenced.
- Rodney Durrell Thomas: 156 months’ imprisonment.
- Shaquandra McAllister: 42 months’ imprisonment.
- Travis Kwymaine Ruffin: 54 months’ imprisonment.
- Marcus Antwan Wiley: 57 months’ imprisonment.
- Marquice Quashawn McCoy: 70 months’ imprisonment.
- Michael Speight: 60 months’ imprisonment.
- De’Andre Anthony Lucas: 15 months’ imprisonment. This prosecution is part of Operation Tri County Hookup an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Nash County Sheriff’s Office, the Wilson Police Department, and the State Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dena J. King and Scott A. Lemmon prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:18-cr-00235-D.
Lumberton Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Hobbs Act Robberies, Carjacking, and KidnappingRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Lumberton man was sentenced today to 240 months in prison for robbery, carjacking, and kidnapping. On June 16, 2020, Trenton Pearson pled guilty to charges of robbery, carjacking, and kidnapping.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Trenton Pearson, 35, committed a series of violent criminal conduct in November of 2018 and August thru September of 2019.
On November 24, 2018, Robeson County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to an armed robbery at the Dollar General Store located at 2656 Lombardy Village Road, Lumber Bridge, N.C. Upon arrival, deputies met with a Dollar General Store clerk who advised that a male approached his checkout counter and asked him to open the cash register. The suspect walked behind the counter with a knife in his hand. The suspect demanded money and threatened to stab him. The suspect stole approximately $320 from the register and exited the store.
On November 26, 2018, Red Springs Police Department investigators responded to the Sun-Do Gas Station located at 902 East Avenue, Red Springs, N.C., about an armed robbery. On arrival, investigators met with the store clerks, who stated that the suspect entered the store, walked behind the counter, and pointed a silver knife at one clerk’s side. He then stole approximately $1,539.00 from the cash register and exited the store.
On November 27, 2018, St. Pauls Police Department responded to the Dollar General located at 584 W. Clark Street in St. Pauls, N.C., about an armed robbery. Upon arrival, officers met Dollar General store clerks who reported that the suspect kept his hand inside his coat as if he had a weapon and demanded money. The suspect stole approximately $4,461 from the register and left the business on a bicycle. The clerks immediately called 911 and described the suspect. An officer observed the suspect and found him in possession of the stolen money and a knife. The suspect was identified as Trenton Pearson, and he was arrested. He agreed to speak with law enforcement and admitted to the robberies. At the time of the offenses, Pearson was on post-release supervision and revoked back to state prison for a term of months.
On August 30, 2019, St. Pauls Police Department officers responded to an armed robbery at the Family Dollar located at 407 East Broad Street, St. Pauls, N.C. Upon arrival, officers met with the store clerk who advised that a male rushed behind her counter with a knife and demanded that she stay quiet. The suspect stole the entire cash register before exiting the business. Approximately $210 and other store items were stolen during this robbery.
On August 31, 2019, at approximately 10:00am, Hope Mills Police Department officers responded to the Dollar General Store located at 2477 Hope Mills Road, Fayetteville, N.C., about a robbery. Upon their arrival, officers met with the store clerk who stated that a male suspect rushed behind her counter and tackled her to the ground when she opened the cash register. The suspect stole money from the cash register that contained approximately $216.
On September 1, 2019, at approximately 9:05pm, Robeson County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were dispatched to 14389 N.C. 71, Shannon, N.C., about a carjacking call. Upon their arrival, they met the victim, who stated that she entered David’s General Store for a brief moment and returned to her Dodge Journey. Shortly thereafter, she placed her vehicle into drive and felt someone place a sharp object against her throat. The suspect told her not to stop. She complied and asked him what he wanted. He responded that he wanted her keys. The victim then jumped out of the vehicle and fled.
On September 3, 2019, at approximately 8:30 pm, a female victim returned to her black Chrysler 200 after shopping at a store located at 3708 Sycamore Dairy Road in Fayetteville, N.C. As she returned to her vehicle, an individual entered her vehicle, placed a knife to her neck, and asked whether she had any money. When she told him no, he demanded the victim drive her to an ATM and forced her to withdraw $100. The ATM withdrawal was caught on video surveillance, and Trenton Pearson could clearly be seen on the video. According to the victim, Pearson then drove them to Red Springs, N.C. Pearson drove to an unknown location on a dirt road and purchased crack cocaine. When she tried to escape, he put her in a headlock and cut her with a knife. Pearson utilized the victim’s cell phone to further the kidnapping. The victim was ultimately able to jump out of the vehicle and seek help at a gas station.
On September 4, 2019, Lumberton Police Department officers responded to an armed robbery at the Sun-Do Kwik Stop gas station located at 6697 Elizabethtown Road in Lumberton, N.C. 28358. Upon arrival, officers met with the store clerk who stated that a male approached her behind the checkout counter with a knife and demanded that she open the cash register. The male grabbed the cash register drawer and exited the business, stealing approximately $500.00 from the Sun-Do. Surveillance footage captured Pearson on video and observed him driving the kidnapping victim’s Chrysler 200.
Investigators linked Pearson to all the robberies, and he was taken into custody on September 4, 2019. He later confessed to committing the robberies.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, Red Springs Police Department, St. Pauls Police Department, Lumberton Police Department, and Fayetteville Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Rhoades prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-CR-00008-M.
North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A North Carolina man pleaded guilty Monday to production of child pornography.
According to statements made in connection with his plea, when allegations of child pornography came to light, Raul Ayala Jr., 72, of Harnett County, was interviewed by the Fuquay-Varina Police Department and admitted to molesting a prepubescent minor victim, as well as other victims as far back as the 1970s. A search warrant was thereafter executed at Ayala’s residence in Angier and multiple digital devices were seized. The devices contained numerous images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In addition, the police found a briefcase in Ayala’s attic, suspended by a pulley system, that contained CSAM and Polaroid pictures of nude minor children, dating back to the late 1960s and early 1970s. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents were able to track down and identify one of the boys depicted in the Polaroids. He is now in his 60s and disclosed that Ayala had sexually abused him when he was a minor, starting when he was 8 years old.
“This case demonstrates that child sex offenders too often engage in their offenses over great periods of time without detection,” said acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This prosecution resulted from the successful collaboration of diligent federal and local law enforcement officers in their efforts to pursue justice for children, regardless of the passage of time. Ayala committed egregious offenses for decades and his successful prosecution ensures that he now faces a sentence of no less than 15 years. The Department of Justice is committed to tirelessly tracking down and pursuing the prosecution of defendants like Ayala who victimize the most vulnerable members of our society.”
“Child pornography – the horrible exploitation of the most vulnerable among us – is one of the worst and most intolerable crimes we prosecute, and this plea reflects the Department of Justice’s deep and abiding commitment to removing these predators and restoring our children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney G. Norman Acker III of the Eastern District of North Carolina. “This case allows us to take another step in the right direction as we work to eliminate this crime and its terrible consequences for our communities.”
“As disturbing as these child sex abuse cases are, HSI is determined to prevent and punish those who sexually abuse innocent children,” said Special Agent in Charge Ronnie Martinez of HSI’s Charlotte Field Office. “Working together with our partners in the Fuquay-Varina Police Department and the Hartnett County Sheriff’s Office, these cases can be investigated thoroughly and expeditiously so children can continue to be rescued. There is nothing more meaningful than locating, identifying, and rescuing child sex abuse victims.”
Ayala faces up to 30 years of imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of 15 years of imprisonment, to be followed by supervised release for at least five years, and restitution. After release from prison, Ayala will be required to register as a sex offender.
Trial Attorney Charles Schmitz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina prosecuted the case.
The HSI Raleigh Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the Fuquay-Varina Police Department and the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office. CEOS’s High Tech Investigative Unit provided substantial assistance.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Federal Inmate Convicted of Engaging in a Mutiny in a Federal Penal InstitutionRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a federal inmate housed at the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina (“FCI Butner I”) with participating in a mutiny inside a federal penal institution.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on April 22, 2020, Rene Moreno-Castillo, an inmate at FCI Butner I, pulled a fire extinguisher from the wall during an open disagreement with staff about housing assignments and sprayed them and the housing unit with its chemical contents. After spraying the staff, inmate Moreno-Castillo barricaded the unit door with lockers which he ripped from the wall and slid against the door, tied the door shut with a bed sheet, and continued to spray the fire extinguisher, filling the unit with the thick powder contents. FCI Butner I staff, including a tactical Complex-wide Quick Response Force, were emergently called to the scene to regain control of the unit.
At the time of the mutiny, FCI Butner I staff were working tirelessly to ensure the safe and effective incarceration of inmates housed in the Butner Complex, while simultaneously managing the damaging effects of the global COVID-19 crisis within the walls of a federal prison.
Moreno-Castillo has been convicted of multiple federal crimes including being an alien in the United States after deportation having been previously convicted of an aggravated felony, possession with the intent to distribute more than 100 kilos of marijuana, and another conviction for being an alien unlawfully in the United States .
Moreno-Castillo faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle accepted the verdict. Federal Bureau of Prisons officials investigated the case, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mallory Brooks Storus and Genna Petre prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:20-CR-210-BO.
Fayetteville, North Carolina Physician Agrees to Pay $300,000.00 to Resolve Allegedly Fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid Claims Involving Autonomic Nervous System TestsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Acting United States Attorney, G. Norman Acker, III, announced today that Benjamin C. Udoh and Hanora Medical Center, PLLC, an internal medicine practice that Dr. Udoh operates in Fayetteville, North Carolina, have agreed to pay $300,000.00 to settle civil claims under the Federal and North Carolina False Claims Acts concerning allegations that they submitted false claims to the Medicare and Medicaid Programs for Autonomic Nervous System (“ANS”) Testing.
Specifically, the United States and the State of North Carolina alleged that during a four-and-a-half-year period between January 2016 to May 2020, Dr. Udoh and Hanora Medical Center submitted false or fraudulent claims for ANS Testing using Current Procedural Terminology codes 95921, 95923, 95925, 95927, 93922, and 93923 when the testing services were not medically necessary and/or the medical record did not support medical necessity. As a result, Dr. Udoh and his medical practice allegedly received funds to which they were not entitled.
In addition to the monetary portion of the settlement, Dr. Udoh and Hanora Medical Center have entered into an Integrity Agreement with the Office of Inspector General for the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
“Medical providers have a duty to provide services that are medically necessary for a patient’s care, not services that will simply help pad the provider’s wallet. Our office will continue to root out those providers who attempt to take advantage of their patients in an effort to bilk government programs. Those who fail to comply with the law in order to increase their own bottom line will be pursued by the Department of Justice,” said Acting United States Attorney, G. Norman Acker, III.
The Federal and North Carolina False Claims Acts authorize the Governments to recover triple the money falsely obtained, plus substantial civil penalties for each false claim submitted.
It should be noted that the civil claims resolved by settlement here are allegations only, and that there has been no judicial determination or admission of liability.
This matter was investigated by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and the Medicaid Investigations Division of the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office (“MID”). Special Deputy Attorney General Michael M. Berger, who also serves as a Special Assistant United States Attorney, represented the United States and the State of North Carolina.
The MID investigates and prosecutes healthcare providers that defraud the Medicaid Program, patient abuse of Medicaid recipients, patient abuse of any patient in facilities that receive Medicaid funding, and misappropriation of any patients’ private funds in nursing homes that receive Medicaid funding. To report Medicaid fraud or patient abuse in North Carolina, please call the MID at 919-881-2320.
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Harnett County Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – An Angier man pled guilty today to Production of Child Pornography.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Raul Ayala Jr., 72, was accused of sexual molesting a prepubescent minor. Upon the minor’s disclosure, Ayala was confronted and admitted to some of the conduct but claimed there were explanations for the behavior. Law enforcement was notified, and Fuquay-Varina Police Department began an investigation. Detectives interviewed Ayala and Ayala admitted to touching the child and performing oral sex on the child. He also admitted he had taken some nude photographs of the child, but insisted they were innocent photographs. In addition, Ayala admitted he had molested children in the 1970’s.
A search warrant was executed at Ayala’s residence in Angier and multiple digital devices were seized. In addition, in the attic law enforcement found a briefcase that contained adult pornography and child pornography. In the briefcase were Polaroid pictures of nude minor children, dating back to the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. On Ayala’s digital devices, law enforcement found lascivious images of the minor child who disclosed sexual abuse along with child pornography unrelated to the minor child.
Homeland Security Investigators sought to identify the minor males in the Polaroid photographs. Agents identified one of the males who affirmed he was one of the children in the Polaroids and he disclosed that Ayala had molested him, beginning when he was eight years old.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the plea was entered by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. Fuquay-Varina Police Department, Harnett County Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Homeland Security Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson and Charles Schmitz with the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section prosecuted the case.
Wilmington Man Sentenced to 78 Months for Circle K RobberyRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for his role in a Wilmington convenience store robbery and car-jacking that resulted in a car crash at an elementary school.
According to court documents, Ronald Lee Croll, 51, and a co-defendant donned masks in the early morning hours of August 18, 2019 and robbed the Circle K gas station on Gordon Road in Wilmington. Croll brandished a handgun, later determined to be a BB gun, pointed it at the head of the store clerk and demanded money. The clerk gave Croll the cash drawer and Croll demanded the clerk’s car keys. In a back room, Croll took the keys, ordered the clerk to lay on the floor and attempted to zip tie the clerk’s wrists together. Croll and his co-defendant then took the clerk’s car and fled with the cash drawer and a number of cigarette packs. New Hanover County Sheriff’s Deputies spotted the vehicle on Market Street and gave pursuit. The car tried to elude officers by driving at a high rate of speed through a residential neighborhood, eventually going off the road before crashing into a basketball hoop at Blair Elementary School. Croll and his co-defendant then fled on foot before being apprehended. Officers recovered zip ties, cash, the BB gun, cigarettes, the cash drawer, and clothing worn during the robbery from the vehicle and the flight path of the defendants. After being apprehended, Croll was interviewed and admitted his role in the offense.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated, the Wilmington Police Department assisted in the response, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:19-CR-00184-FL.
Raleigh Man Sentenced to 15 years for Armed Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing Methamphetamine, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing Methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Connor Daniel Rushing, 25, was responsible for distributing over 10 kilograms of methamphetamine between November 2018 and September 2019. During the course of their investigation, law enforcement seized over 1 kilogram of methamphetamine as well as 2 firearms from the defendant. Rushing’s operation was ultimately brought to an end when he was stopped on September 29, 2019, returning from Georgia with over 500 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Raleigh Police Department and the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Crosby prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00460-FL-1.
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New Hanover Gang Member Sentenced to 11 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Qwanelle Ruffin, also known as “El Patron,” 28, of New Hanover County was sentenced today to 132 months in prison for: 1) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute One Hundred (100) Grams or More of Heroin; 2) Three Counts of Distribution of a Quantity of Heroin and Aiding and Abetting; 3) Seven Counts of Distribution of a Quantity of Heroin; and 4) Possession With Intent to Distribute One Hundred (100) Grams or More of Heroin and Aiding and Abetting. On July 8, 2020, Ruffin pled guilty to these charges.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, on June 28, 2019, a search warrant was served by the Wilmington Police Department at an apartment at River Front Place. Ruffin, Darion Graham and a third person lived at the apartment. While the police were conducting the search, Graham and the other person arrived at the apartment complex. They fled upon seeing the police but were ultimately taken into custody. The search revealed approximately 761 grams of heroin/fentanyl mixture, a quantity of bagged heroin and $16,281 in United States currency. Ruffin was arrested at a nearby bank.
The investigation uncovered that Ruffin had also been packaging and storing heroin for distribution at residences on Spring Street and 13th Street in Wilmington. Ruffin had been robbed of Heroin on two occasions.
Between November 2018 and June 2019, the Wilmington Police Department assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Gang Unit conducted numerous controlled purchases of heroin from Ruffin and people that he had deliver for him. The locations were throughout Wilmington. According to law enforcement, Ruffin was a validated gang member.
Darion Graham was sentenced previously for his role in this drug trafficking organization and received a prison sentence of 365 months in prison.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. This OCDETF focuses on a Multi-State Drug Trafficking Organization and Gang Activity that has been responsible for the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine throughout the United States.
G. Norman Acker, III, acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing before U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wilmington Police Department, Holly Ridge Police Department and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:19-CR-126-FL-3.
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New Hanover County Gangster Disciple Member Sentenced to 11 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Maurice “Gotti” Bellamy 29, of New Hanover County was sentenced today to 132 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Heroin and Distribution of a Quantity of Heroin. On June 4, 2020, Bellamy pled guilty to these charges
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, on June 11, 2019 Bellamy sold a quantity of heroin to someone working at the direction of law enforcement in Wilmington. The investigation uncovered that Bellamy was involved in the distribution of more than 2 kilograms of heroin.
According to a civil injunction filed in 2017 against the Folk Nation-720 Gangster Disciples in New Hanover County Superior Court, Bellamy was a member of this gang.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. This OCDETF focuses on a Multi-State Drug Trafficking Organization and Gang Activity that has been responsible for the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine throughout the United States.
G. Norman Acker, III, acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing before U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wilmington Police Department, Holly Ridge Police Department and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:19-cr-00126-FL-6.
Attorney General Merrick Garland Recognizes John Guard of Pitt County for Advocacy on Behalf of Crime VictimsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today awarded the First Responders Award to John Guard of Greenville for his advocacy on behalf of crime victims. Mr. Guard was among 13 individuals and teams from across the country who were honored for their work. The award recipients were recognized virtually during the annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony.
“Every day, we bear witness to stirring acts of heroism on the part of compassionate and courageous advocates – and crime victims themselves,” said Attorney General Garland. “One of our responsibilities is to ensure that victims are informed, have a voice, and are supported in the healing process. To the exceptional men and women we honor today – thank you for your service to crime victims, for your commitment to the safety of your communities, and for working to make America a more just and more compassionate place.”
John Guard is a Chief Deputy with the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office in Greenville, North Carolina, with over 28 years of experience, including line level response, investigative response, first and second level supervision, and agency management. For almost two and a half decades, he has specialized in investigating domestic violence cases. He has been instrumental in developing policies and procedures related to domestic violence response in Pitt County and the State of North Carolina. Legislators and victim advocates have consulted Chief Guard on the creation of state legislation for domestic violence response, including House Bill 1354, which granted powers of arrest to law enforcement for violation of pretrial release, mandated law enforcement training, and elevated strangulation to a felony crime; and Senate Bill 919, which provides stronger firearm removal provisions for offenders who are subject to a domestic violence protection order.
Chief Guard serves as the chair of the Pitt Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team and was instrumental in its creation. He is a past member and Chair of the Law Enforcement Policy Committee of the North Carolina Domestic Violence Commission, and a past member and Executive Board President of the North Carolina Victim’s Assistance Network. He has participated is several local, state, and federal focus groups that have examined the impact of domestic violence on society. Chief Guard has received numerous awards for his efforts related to domestic violence prevention, including awards from the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the North Carolina Victims Assistance Network, and the Sunshine Lady Foundation.
“John Guard spent his career tirelessly working and advocating for the rights of Domestic Violence victims,” stated Acting United States Attorney G. Norman Acker, III. “He not only investigated hundreds of cases of Domestic Violence, he also willing shared his expertise by training thousands of officers and domestic violence advocates during conferences sponsored by my Office.”
Mr. Guard and the other award recipients were selected from public nominations in 10 categories, including federal service, special courage, public policy and victim services. The Office for Victims of Crime, a component of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW). Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first Victims’ Rights Week in 1981, putting crime victims' rights, needs and concerns in a prominent spot on the American agenda. He also established the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, which laid the groundwork for a national network of services and legal safeguards for crime victims. The 40th observance of NCVRW takes place this year, April 18-24, and features the theme, “Support Victims. Build Trust. Engage Communities.”
“We come together each year during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week to show that we are united in our commitment to making sure all crime victims feel heard, respected and remembered,” said Office of Justice Programs Acting Assistant Attorney General Maureen A. Henneberg. “We honor these outstanding public safety professionals and advocates who work so hard to support crime victims as they walk the path from trauma to healing.”
According to the Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1.2 million Americans age 12 and older were victims of violent crime, excluding simple assault, in 2019, down from 1.4 million in 2018. An estimated 12.8 million U.S. households experienced one or more property victimizations. OVC supports more than 7,000 local victim assistance programs and victim compensation programs in every state and U.S. territory. Funds for these programs come from the Crime Victims Fund, which is made up of federal criminal fines, penalties and bond forfeitures.
Following is a list of the all award recipients:
- The Allied Professional Award recognizes individuals working outside the victim assistance field for their service to victims.
Recipient: Pfawnn Eskee, Montezuma Creek, Utah
- The Award for Professional Innovation in Victim Services recognizes a program, organization or individual who expands the reach of victims’ rights and services.
Recipient: JoNell Efantis Potter, PhD, Miami, Florida
- The Federal Service Award recognizes federal agency personnel for service to victims of federal, tribal or military crimes.
Recipient: Acquanette Lindsay, Dayton, Ohio.
- The First Responders Award recognizes an individual from the law enforcement, emergency services, firefighters and rescue professions for extraordinary acts of valor toward crime victims.
Recipients: John Guard, Greenville, North Carolina; and Robin Taylor, Chardon, Ohio
- The National Crime Victim Service Award honors extraordinary efforts to provide direct services to crime victims.
Recipient: The Vegas Strong Resiliency Center, Las Vegas, Nevada; and Jennifer Dunn, Waukesha, Wisconsin
- The Ronald Wilson Reagan Public Policy Award honors leadership, innovation and vision that lead to noteworthy changes in public policy on behalf of crime victims.
Recipient: Jeannette M. Adkins, Bellbrook, Ohio
- The Special Courage Award honors extraordinary bravery in the aftermath of a crime or courageous act on behalf of a victim or potential victim.
Recipients: Jennifer Elmore, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and Jennifer Luther, Tallahassee, Florida
- The Tomorrow’s Leaders Award recognizes youth up to 24 years old for efforts to support crime victims.
Recipient: Sachiri Henderson, Shreveport, Louisiana
- The Victims Rights Legend Award recognizes an individual whose work over an extended period of time has resulted in positive and substantial change in the field of victim advocacy and/or victims’ rights.
Recipient: Victor I. Vieth, Lewiston, Minnesota
- The Volunteer for Victims Award recognizes individuals who serve without compensation.
Recipient: Tricia L. Everest, Nichols Hills, Oklahoma
“It is important for us as a country to set aside time during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week to honor victims and to recognize those who advocate for resources and policies designed to meet the many serious challenges victims face,” said Office for Victims of Crime Acting Director Katherine Darke Schmitt. “Few people expect to be a victim, and no one deserves the pain and injustice that burden every crime survivor. We should take it upon ourselves this week, and every week, to show our unity with and compassion for those who have experienced the pain of victimization.”
During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, victim advocacy organizations, community groups and state, local and tribal agencies traditionally host rallies, candlelight vigils and other events to raise awareness of victims’ rights and services. This year, many communities are organizing virtual gatherings and online public awareness campaigns.
To see the complete list of awardees and learn more about past NCVRW recipients, visit www.ovc.gov/gallery.
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Aryan Brotherhood Member Receives More Than 14 Years in Prison for His Involvement in a Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Brian Pearce, 27, of Onslow County was sentenced today to 176 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute Five Hundred (500) Grams or More of Methamphetamine and Possession With Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Methamphetamine. On June 4, 2020, Pearce pled guilty to these charges.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, on April 12, 2019, Pearce, Bradley Henderson and a third person drove to a residence in the Farmville area to purchase a pound of methamphetamine. They had previously paid for the methamphetamine. The three were waiting for the methamphetamine and concerned they were going to be robbed. Pearce kicked in the door of the residence. Pearce produced a handgun and fired a round into the floor and demanded the methamphetamine. They received 8 ounces of methamphetamine and left. On the way back they observed a police checkpoint. They failed to stop at the checkpoint. Officers pursued the vehicle which made one turn and abruptly stopped when Pearce jumped out of the vehicle and fled on foot. Pearce hid the methamphetamine and handgun in the woods. Pearce returned for the items after he bonded out of jail and retrieved the methamphetamine but was unable to find the handgun. The handgun was later recovered by law enforcement.
On May 6, 2019, the Holly Ridge Police Department conducted a traffic stop where Pearce was the driver. Two bags of methamphetamine were recovered from the driver’s seat and two bags of methamphetamine were recovered from Pearce. Additionally, officers located chunks of loose methamphetamine scattered in the front passenger area.
On May 22, 2019, the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office detectives conducted surveillance at a residence in Snead’s Ferry for narcotics and gang activity. Pearce was a passenger in a truck outside of the residence. Pearce was detained at the scene; he requested a cigarette from a pack inside the truck. A detective retrieved the cigarette pack and located a small quantity of methamphetamine. Detectives searched the residence which also appeared to be a clubhouse for the gang and found more than an ounce of methamphetamine, several firearms and gang paraphernalia. According to law enforcement Pearce was a member of the Aryan Brotherhood and occupied a position of leadership in the organization.
The investigation uncovered that between 2016 and May 22, 2019, Pearce was involved in the distribution of nearly four kilograms of methamphetamine. Pearce and another person had also exchanged methamphetamine for heroin in the Maple Hill Area.
Bradley Henderson was previously sentenced federally for his role in this conspiracy and received an active sentence of 110 months.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. This OCDETF focuses on a Multi-State Drug Trafficking Organization and Gang Activity that has been responsible for the distribution of large quantities extremely pure methamphetamine throughout the United States.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office, the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, and the Holly Ridge Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:19-CR-139-FL-5.
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Winterville Man Arrested on Federal Firearm Charge After Attempting to Kill WomanRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, N.C. – A Winterville man was arrested today on charges of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon after allegedly attempting to kill a woman.
Errol Rahnell Taheim Baston, 36, of Winterville, North Carolina, was arrested by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and is charged by complaint with one count of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Baston faces a maximum penalty of 120 months’ imprisonment if convicted. Baston will make his first appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kimberly A. Swank, in Greenville, North Carolina.
On April 19, 2021, members of the Greenville Police Department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT), Emergency Response Team (ERT), and K-9 Unit attempted to serve arrest warrants at Baston’s residence in the 3800 block of Sterling Pointe Drive, Greenville, North Carolina. The charges stem from a domestic incident over the weekend in which Baston reportedly held a woman against her will, repeatedly assaulted and choked her, and attempted to drown her in a bathtub. After a brief standoff, Baston attempted to flee the scene through the rear door of the residence but was ultimately apprehended by a K-9 officer. Officers seized a .40 caliber handgun, a 12-gauge shotgun, and an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle from the residence. Baston has prior felony convictions for robbery and assault from Kings County, New York.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Greenville Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aakash Singh is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Robeson County Man Convicted of Firearm Charges and Assault on Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Robeson County man yesterday on multiple firearm charges and for assaulting two federal officers.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Gary Lynn Gatlin, 50, was charged with a 3-Count Superseding Indictment on April 15, 2020. Evidence presented at trial showed that on February 8, 2019, two Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) agents were conducting surveillance on Water Tower Road in Orrum, North Carolina on suspicion of firearm trafficking. While sitting in their vehicle, they were approached by the defendant, Gary Gatlin, who accused them of being on his property and threatened to blow their heads off. Gatlin left and returned a few minutes later carrying a pump action shotgun. Gatlin fired a shot into the air and then fired two more shots at the vehicle. Both officers identified themselves as police. In response, Gatlin crouched down, reloaded his shotgun, and fired two more shots into the vehicle before the officers escaped.
Officers with the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene to search for Gatlin and recover evidence. While searching the property, they recovered five empty 12-gauge shotgun shell cartridges. They also recovered a Mossberg Maverick Model 88 shotgun. A firearm examiner determined that the Model 88 shotgun fired the shells recovered on the scene. In addition, officers executed a search warrant at 888 Water Tower Road, Gatlin’s residence, and recovered additional firearms.
A review of Gatlin’s criminal history shows that he pled guilty to common law robbery in Robeson County in 2008, which is a class G felony.
Gatlin faces a mandatory minimum of 120 months in prison when sentenced during the September 7, 2021 term of court.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan accepted the verdict. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, Harnett County Sheriff’s Office, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, and the State Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad E. Rhoades and Robert J. Dodson are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.7:19-cr-00033-FL-1.
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Las Vegas Businessman Pleads Guilty to His Role in $13 Million Fraud Upon North Carolina Medicaid ProgramRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Las Vegas, Nevada man pleaded guilty today to Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud and Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, and Aggravated Identity Theft, and further agreed to forfeit the proceeds of his crimes. In additional to cash, forfeitable property included the defendant’s interest in a British Aerospace Bae 125-800A Aircraft, a 2017 Aston Martin DB 11 sports car; a 2016 Ford F-150 Super-Crew pickup truck; real property held in the name of Assured Healthcare Systems in Hertford County, North Carolina; real property located in Charles County, Maryland; as well as various other items of designer jewelry and luxury items seized from the defendant’s penthouse condominium in Las Vegas.
According to court documents, Timothy Mark Harron, 52, admitted to conspiring with his wife, Latisha Harron, to carry out a massive fraud upon the North Carolina Medicaid Program (“NC Medicaid”) by billing the government for fictitious home health services. Harron further admitted to working with his wife to launder the proceeds of the fraud into, among other things, a private jet, luxury jewelry and clothing, and properties in Ahoskie and Rich Square, North Carolina. Latisha Harron has already pleaded guilty to similar charges and is awaiting sentencing.
According to the charges, Latisha Harron created, and was operating, Agape Healthcare Systems, Inc. (“Agape”) an alleged Medicaid home health provider, in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. As charged, to enroll Agape as a Medicaid provider, Latisha Harron fraudulently concealed her prior felony conviction for Identity Theft. In 2012, Harron moved out of North Carolina to Maryland. Despite that move, Harron continued to bill NC Medicaid as though Agape was providing home health services to North Carolina recipients.
As charged, in May of 2017, Latisha Harron moved to Las Vegas, Nevada to live with the defendant Timothy Mark Harron, and that the two were married in 2018. The indictment alleges that Harron was also a previously convicted felon, and that this fact was concealed from the NC Medicaid on enrollment documents. Harron pleaded guilty to allegations that he and his wife worked together to expand the Agape fraud upon NC Medicaid -- fraudulently billing the program for millions in just the few years in which he participated in the scheme.
As charged, Harron admitted that he and his wife carried out the fraud by exploiting an eligibility tool that was entrusted only to NC Medicaid providers. Specifically, Harron and his wife searched publicly available sources, such as obituary postings on the internet by North Carolina funeral homes, to locate recently deceased North Carolinians. Harron admitted that the two would then extract from the obituary postings certain personal information for the deceased, including their name, date of birth, and date of death. Then, utilizing the extracted information, the defendants would then query the NC Medicaid eligibility tool to determine whether the deceased individual had a Medicaid Identification Number. If the deceased North Carolinian had a valid Medicaid Identification Number and was otherwise eligible for Medicaid coverage during their life, the defendants would use that individual’s identity to “back-bill” NC Medicaid, through Agape, for up to one year of fictitious home health services that were allegedly rendered prior to the death of the individual. NC Medicaid then disbursed millions to Agape, all of which flowed into accounts controlled by the Harrons.
As charged, the fraud was carried out via the internet from locations around the globe, including their corporate office building in Las Vegas, their penthouse condominium in Las Vegas, a corporate office in North Carolina, and from various hotels and luxury resorts in and outside of the United States.
Harron further pled guilty to laundering the proceeds of the Agape fraud into various luxury items. These expenses included a $900,000 wire for the purchase of a British Aerospace Bae 125-800A private jet, hundreds of thousands of dollars in Tiffany & Co. and Brioni clothing and jewelry, thousands of dollars on Eastern North Carolina business properties, and thousands of dollars in gym equipment.
Harron pleaded guilty to (1) Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud and Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, which carries a maximum punishment of up to 20 years in prison, (2) one count of Aggravated Identity Theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A, which carries a maximum punishment of not less than, nor more than 2 years in prison consecutive to other sentences, and (3) Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(h), which carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison.
Acting United States Attorney G. Norman Acker, III made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the plea. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Investigations Division, are all investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Gilmore is the prosecutor on this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Harris represents the United States with respect to forfeiture aspects of the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00005-M-2.
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Elizabethtown Man Receives 10 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Christopher Neil McLean, age 47, of Elizabethtown, North Carolina was sentenced April 19, 2021 in Federal District Court in Raleigh. McLean was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison on three counts of an indictment charging: conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and aiding and abetting; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, over the weekend of May 30, 2020, Paige Anderson, previously sentenced to 72 months in federal prison, and McLean would travel to Sanford, NC to pick up a large amount of methamphetamine and return the methamphetamine to Bladen County for distribution. On June 1, 2020, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle by McLean and Paige Anderson was the passenger. Law enforcement observed McLean leaning towards the center console of the vehicle. Officers were unable to see McLean’s hands upon approach and commanded that McLean show his hands. A K-9 was deployed after McLean and Paige Anderson were secured and the vehicle searched. During the search of the vehicle, law enforcement found approximately 90 grams of methamphetamine, plastic baggies, glass pipes, digital scales, a firearm and $1,189. Law enforcement officers found the firearm and holster in the center console area of the car. Following the stop, McLean provided an unprotected statement indicating that he had a lot of methamphetamine in his car.
G. Norman Acker III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bladen County Sheriff’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Murphy Averitt prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation and the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-cr-00150-D.
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Goldsboro Gang Leader Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for Crystal Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Goldsboro man was sentenced today to 216 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, as well as Aiding and Abetting.
According to court documents, Tierea Demon Atkins, a/k/a “Red Dot,” 24, a local leader of the Bloods gang in Goldsboro, was responsible for the distribution of over 22 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine between May 2018 and February 2020. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) and began by conducting controlled purchases of crystal methamphetamine from individuals supplied by Atkins. Several of the controlled purchases took place at a residence on East Pine Street in Goldsboro, which was a known hub of operations for Atkins’ drug trafficking organization. ATF then arranged for controlled purchases of methamphetamine directly from Atkins and his co-defendants. The investigation revealed that Atkins worked closely with Alexander Rickey Shaw, Jr., a/k/a “Ruger Red,” who was previously sentenced to 204 months’ imprisonment for his role in the methamphetamine trafficking.
The investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation, Carolina’s Ice Fall, which targeted large-scale methamphetamine dealers operating in and around Goldsboro. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. To date, Operation Carolina’s Ice Fall has resulted in the prosecutions of 26 individuals for their role in methamphetamine distribution and other crimes.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The ATF, in conjunction with the Goldsboro Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura S. Howard prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-CR-355-D.
Warren County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison on Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Norlina man was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack) and a quantity of cocaine and marijuana, maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing, and using any controlled substance, and felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, William Leon Mayfield, 60, also known as “Moon,” sold crack cocaine to a confidential information out of a residence in Norlina on multiple occasions. Following those controlled purchases, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant for the residence and executed it on June 13, 2019. During that search, deputies found a loaded firearm, quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, and U.S. currency. Mayfield is a convicted felon, having been convicted of numerous drug and gun charges in and around Warren and Vance Counties.
Mayfield pled guilty to the charges on November 5, 2020.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers, II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-CR-230-M.
Norfolk Man Convicted of Visa Fraud, Other Immigration Crimes, and Tampering with a WitnessRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Norfolk, Virginia man Friday on charges of visa fraud related to a sham marriage and other immigration crimes along with trying to obstruct the testimony of a witness in an official proceeding.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Joshua Kwame Asane, 46, a citizen of Ghana, was indicted on July 22, 2020, for conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, marriage fraud, visa fraud, false statements in immigration proceedings, and tampering with a witness.
Evidence presented at the trial revealed that the marriage between Asane and a U.S. soldier stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was arranged by Asane’s brother (Ebenezer Asane, who was previously indicted for conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, has plead guilty and is awaiting sentencing). Asane and the soldier were married in Cumberland County, North Carolina.
Thereafter, Asane and the soldier submitted fraudulent applications to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requesting Asane’s adjustment of status as a lawful permanent resident in the United States. Asane and the soldier were interviewed at the USCIS office in Norfolk, Virginia. Both attested under oath they were married in good faith. As a result of the interview, USCIS found indicators of fraud, and referred the case to USCIS, Fraud Detection and National Security, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for investigation.
In a split decision the jury found Asane guilty of visa fraud, false statements in immigration proceedings, and tampering with a witness, and not guilty of conspiracy and marriage fraud.
Asane faces maximum penalties of twenty-five years of imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 for his convictions of visa fraud, false statements in immigration proceedings, and witness tampering when scheduled for sentencing for the term of court commencing on September 7, 2021.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan accepted the verdict. The case was investigated by the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF) in the Eastern District of North Carolina led by Homeland Security Investigations and assisted by US Army Criminal Investigation Division, and USCIS’s Fraud Detection and National Security, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel J. Diaz is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:20-CR-00349-FL-1 & 5:19-CR-423-1FL.
Elizabeth City Man Gets More Than 13 Years in Prison for String of Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – An Elizabeth City man was sentenced today to 162 months in prison for three counts of Interference with Commerce by Robbery and Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence.
According to court documents, on October 22, 2019, Marcus Alexander Waldo, Jr., 20, robbed the Family Fare on U.S. Highway 17 South in Elizabeth City at gunpoint. He pointed a firearm at the clerk’s head and demanded money. The clerk complied and Waldo fled the store. A week later, on October 29, 2019, Waldo robbed the Dollar General on Oak Stump Road in Elizabeth City in a similar fashion. Waldo pointed a firearm at the store clerk, demanded money, and fled. On January 21, 2020, Waldo robbed the same Dollar General, again at gun point. Following the third robbery, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Waldo’s residence where they found clothing, gloves, and a mask which matched the description of the items Waldo wore during the robbery. Officers also found a firearm, ammunition, and several stacks of U.S. currency.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Elizabeth City Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-CR-29-D.
Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Jerome Davis, 39, of Brunswick County, was sentenced on Friday to 240 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, heroin, and crack cocaine, distribution of a quantity heroin, possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, cocaine base (crack) and marijuana, possession of firearm by convicted felon, and possession a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, on May 25, 2016, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office made a controlled purchase using a confidential informant of heroin from Davis in the area of Princess Place Drive in Wilmington, North Carolina. Between March and September 2019, the Wilmington Police Department made several controlled purchases from Davis of either cocaine or a mixture of cocaine and fentanyl.
On September 27, 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wilmington Police Department conducted a search of Davis’ residence in Leland, North Carolina. During the search, deputies found a loaded 9mm handgun, crack cocaine, cocaine, marijuana, and $27,000 in cash. Davis was present during the search. A storage unit used by Davis was also searched and a shotgun with a ten drum magazine and a stolen .357 handgun were recovered. Davis is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Davis had prior convictions for felony burglary, assault inflicting serious injury, possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine and marijuana, conspiracy to sell or deliver heroin, sale of schedule I and II controlled substances, and felony resisting an officer with violence.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wilmington Police Department and the Brunswick and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Offices investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:19-cr-00183-FL.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Commemorates National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 18-24, 2021Read the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – The United States Attorney’s Office, in commemoration of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), April 18–24, 2021, is hosting a Virtual Ceremony to raise awareness about crime victims’ issues and rights and introduce the community to the important resources and services available.
The faces of crime victims are those of our family, friends, neighbors, and community members. According to the most recent National Crime Victimization Survey from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1.2 million people were victims of violent crime in 2019, a significant decrease from the year before. Now is the time to redouble our efforts so that victimization continues to decline, and fewer and fewer North Carolinians become victims of crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office will commemorate the advancement of victims’ rights and highlight issues surrounding victimization by holding a Virtual Ceremony on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at 11:00 am. This program is co-hosted by the other two United States Attorney’s Offices in North Carolina, the Victim Services Interagency Council of North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Justice, Durham, and Raleigh Police Departments. Our keynote speaker is Ms. Deanna Walters, a survivor of intimate partner violence whose story was featured on the 2014 award winning documentary titled “Private Violence.” If you would like to register for this training use this link: https://usao.webex.com/usao/onstage/g.php?MTID=e0bb75a52a534a276abd6c3647b5a5d67.
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) leads communities throughout the country in their annual observances of NCVRW by promoting victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. This year’s theme— Support Victims. Build Trust. Engage Communities. —celebrates the contributions that we all can make toward building trust in our community’s capacity to support the healing journeys of crime victims. Trust is collective as well as individual, so we are honoring both the individual victims in our community and the groups engaged in building networks of understanding and support.
Acting United States Attorney G. Norman Acker, III stated: “Together we can build a society of healing and hope if we come together to support, protect, and restore victims and survivors who suffer harm at the hands of others.”
For additional information about this year’s NCVRW and how to assist victims in your own community, please visit the United States Attorney’s Office website. For more ideas on how to support victims of crime, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.ojp.gov.
Roanoke Rapids Man Who Shot Store Clerk During Armed Robbery Sentenced to More Than 30 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Roanoke Rapids man was sentenced today to 366 months in prison for interference with commerce by robbery, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents, Joshua Jermaine Durante, 23, robbed the Family Dollar Store in Weldon on September 17, 2018. During the robbery, Durante and a juvenile brandished firearms and pistol-whipped the clerk while demanding money. After the clerk complied, the two fled the store. On September 26, 2018, Durante and the juvenile robbed a second store - New Dixie Mart #213 in Roanoke Rapids. After the clerk had trouble opening the safe at Durante’s command, he shot the clerk in the stomach. The clerk sustained life-threatening injuries but survived. A few days later, law enforcement in Gaston located Durante and the juvenile who ran from police leading them on a high-speed chase. During the chase, Durante drove his car down railroad tracks which ultimately disabled his car. He and the juvenile then fled from the car on foot but were captured by law enforcement after a short foot chase.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Weldon Police Department, the Roanoke Rapids Police Department, and the Gaston Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:20-CR-00034-D.
Jacksonville Man Convicted of Distribution of Heroin Resulting in Death and Other Charges Sentenced to Life Plus Five YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Jacksonville man previously convicted of distribution of heroin resulting in death, two counts of possessing a firearm while a felon, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, three counts of distribution of heroin and/or crack, and three counts of possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and crack was sentenced to life plus five years in prison today.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Randon Austin Jenkins, a/k/a Jerz, 36, provided heroin to a victim who died shortly thereafter of a heroin overdose. After the victim was discovered, detectives located bags of heroin marked with a unique stamp in the victim’s bedroom. Detectives utilized informants, cell phone evidence, and other evidence to connect Jenkins to those stamped heroin bags. They were able to search Jenkins house just two weeks later and located those same stamped heroin bags in his house. Detectives also located guns and other drugs in the house as well as conducted multiple controlled purchases of drugs from the defendant over the course of the ensuing months.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge James C. Dever III. Jacksonville Police Department, Onslow County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Howard prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No 7:18-CR-0006-D.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced to 12 Years After Second Federal Conviction for Firearms and Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Fayetteville man was sentenced to a total of 144 months in prison for discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
According to court documents, Zhivargo Kinta Jenkins, also known as Fefe, 43, discharged a firearm inside an apartment where he ran a drug distribution enterprise involving marijuana, cocaine, and cocaine base (crack). On the night of December 15, 2018, Fayetteville Police Officers responded to a report of shooting inside an apartment. Upon arrival, officers found several large quantities of drugs, distribution material, and spent rounds of ammunition. Officers noted holes in the walls from the bullets, but no one was injured. At the time of the incident, Jenkins was serving a term of post-release supervision for federal convictions involving firearms and the distribution of narcotics.
For his actions in December 2018 and its corresponding federal charges, Jenkins was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Louise Flanagan. In addition to this sentence, Jenkins was sentenced to an additional 24 months’ imprisonment for the revocation of his post-release supervision by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever, III. The twenty-four-month sentence will run consecutive to his 120-month sentence.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Fayetteville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney J.D. Koesters prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-CR-528 and 5:05-CR-204.
Red Springs Man Convicted of Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Red Springs man yesterday on charges of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Jonathan Revels, 57, was convicted for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The evidence presented at trial showed that on September 4, 2016, members of the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and the Red Springs Police Department responded to shots fired on Kate Denny Road. Through the investigation, officers learned that Revels was involved in the shooting. Video evidence showed that Revels brought a firearm to the altercation, which was later recovered by law enforcement. Prior to this date, Revels had been previously convicted in federal court and sentenced to over a decade in federal prison.
Revels is set to be sentenced during the July 2021 term of court.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle accepted the verdict. The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, Red Springs Police Department, State Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad Rhoades and Brandon Boykin prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.7:20-CR-20-BO-2.