Eastern District of North Carolina
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Media Advisory In-Person Press ConferenceRead the Press Release
WHEN: Thursday, September 3, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: Rocky Mount Train Station
101 Coastline Street
Rocky Mount, NC 27804
Re: Prosecutions of Violent Criminals & Drug Traffickers in Eastern North Carolina
The United States Attorney’s Office announces a press conference to update the region on significant prosecutions of violent criminals and major drug traffickers operating in Nash, Edgecombe, and Wilson Counties. Participants will also discuss ongoing efforts of our Take Back North Carolina initiative focusing on these counties.
In addition to United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr., we anticipate members of the Nash, Edgecombe and Wilson County Sheriff’s Offices and the Wilson and Rocky Mount Police Departments along with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration to participate in this event.
Credentialed members of the media are invited to attend. For additional information, and to RSVP your intentions to attend this event, please email Don Connelly at [email protected].
Wilmington Gang Member Receives More Than 9 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Terrance Fisher, 29, of Wilmington, was sentenced yesterday to 112 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, distribution of a quantity of heroin and possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin.
According to court documents, on February 19, 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Safe Street Task Force and the Wilmington Police Department’s Narcotics and Gang Units conducted a controlled purchase of heroin from Fisher in the area of Market Street in Wilmington. On February 20, the FBI Task Force and Wilmington Police Detectives conducted a search of a room at the Suburban Extended Stay in Wilmington associated with Fisher. Law Enforcement found a quantity of heroin in the room. Fisher was not present at the time of the search, as he was visiting his North Carolina State Probation Officer. According to law enforcement, Fisher was a gang member in Wilmington and was part of a drug trafficking organization responsible for the importation and distribution of large amounts of heroin into Wilmington.
The investigation was part of OCDETF Operation Tiny Toon Adventure. An Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets. This OCDETF focuses on a Gang that has been involved in the distribution of large quantity of heroin into Eastern North Carolina.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The FBI’s Safe Street Task Force, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wilmington Police Department’s Gang Unit 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-00111-FL-1.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
United States Reaches $2.1M Settlement with Ward Transformer Company for Recoupment of Cleanup Costs at Superfund Site Near RDU International AirportRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a settlement with Ward Transformer Company (Ward Transformer) requiring the company to pay $2,135,000 to the United States for hazardous substance cleanup costs at the Ward Transformer Superfund Site (Site) located near the Raleigh-Durham International Airport in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Site was listed on EPA’s National Priorities List in 2003 as a result of Ward Transformer’s spill and release of hazardous substances, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), at the Site during the manufacture and repair of transformers and other electrical equipment. The Company ceased operations in 2006. Extensive cleanup has already been completed at the Site, and this settlement recoups unreimbursed costs.
The settlement arose out of a civil condemnation action brought by Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority (RDU) against Ward Transformer to acquire the property for an RDU expansion project, RDU v. Ward Transformer, et al, Case No. 5:19-cv-304-D. The United States was named as a party to that lawsuit because of federal liens on the Site resulting from environmental cleanup costs under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”), also known as the Superfund Law.
The settlement provides that $2,135,000 of the funds RDU would have paid to Ward Transformer for the property will instead be paid to EPA for unreimbursed cleanup costs. Ward Transformer agreed to reimburse EPA for these cleanup costs in exchange for a release from EPA and protection from suit by third parties.
“Ward Transformer’s environmental violations many years ago were egregious, and their impact has been significant and long-lasting – to both the environment and the American taxpayer,” said United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. “This recovery represents an important victory for the American taxpayer, and we will continue to hold Ward Transformer and others accountable for violating federal laws that serve to protect our environment and natural resources.”
“EPA has overseen extensive cleanup work at the Ward Transformer Superfund Site, including the removal of over 420,000 tons of PCB-contaminated material in 2006 and ongoing work to cleanup the remainder of the Site,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Mary S. Walker. “This agreement demonstrates EPA’s commitment to hold companies responsible for the costs of cleaning up contamination released into the environment.”
The United States Attorney’s Office previously brought criminal and civil actions against Ward Transformer and its owner, Robert Earl Ward, Jr. (Ward) (now deceased), for related environmental violations. Ward was criminally prosecuted for knowingly causing PCBs to be illegally dumped in violation of law, United States v. Robert Earl Ward, Jr., Case No. 5:79-cr-004-BR. Additionally, the United States obtained a civil judgment against Ward and Ward Transformer for $3,339,836 in cleanup costs, Case No. 83-63-CIV-5-BR. Subsequently, the United States brought another civil action and obtained a Consent Decree related to the Site, United States v. North Georgia Electric Membership, et al, Case No. 5:16-cv-820-FL. To date, EPA and private parties have spent over $90 million to clean up the Site.
The settlement was subject to a 30-day public comment period, which has expired, and approval by the Court.
Assistant United States Attorney Neal Fowler, EPA Associate Regional Counsel Jade Rutland, and Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resource Division Attorneys Andrew Ingersoll and Esperanza Anderson represented the United States in this civil action.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Man Sentenced to 51 Months for Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Jamal Watson was sentenced this week to 51 months in prison for defrauding financial institutions.
According to court documents, Watson, age 42, had just been released from federal prison after serving 121 months for Distribution of Heroin and Possession of Firearm by a Felon when he began a bank fraud scheme to purchase vehicles from dealerships throughout North Carolina. Watson, his wife and another individual applied for loans to purchase 20 vehicles during a one year period. At first, Watson used his own social security number, but provided false employment information. After the first two vehicles were repossessed for lack of payment, Watson and his wife provided fake social security numbers and fictitious employment information. To hinder the banks from locating fraudulently obtained vehicles, Watson also provided a fake North Carolina driver’s license bearing a false Durham address. In addition to the period of incarceration, the Court ordered Watson to pay restitution to the victims and forfeit the $29,732,36, which was the amount of the loan he obtained to purchase a Maserati from a Charlotte dealership.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Menzer prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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-00261-FL.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Lumberton Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Lumberton man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute crack cocaine and cocaine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, James Calvin Breeden, 33, who is a convicted felon, was the passenger of a vehicle stopped by deputies with the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office as they were attempting to serve an outstanding warrant. When deputies approached the vehicle, they observed Breeden in possession of a Crown Royal bag that contained approximately 80 grams of crack cocaine and 38 grams of cocaine. He also possessed a loaded handgun inside of his waistband.
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 on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement. For more information about this initiative click here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/tbnc
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge W. Earl Britt. The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad Rhoades and Erin Blondel 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-00117-BR.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Robeson County Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH - A Maxton man was sentenced yesterday to 192 months for unlawfully possessing two firearms.
According to court documents, on February 13, 2018, Robeson County Deputies arrested Larry Lowery, 43, on breaking and entering charges. Two weeks prior to his arrest, Lowery broke into and stole several items from two local Robeson County businesses. When the Deputies took Lowery into custody, they found two stolen firearms in Lowery’s pockets. Lowery is a convicted felon with nine separate felony breaking and entering convictions spanning over two decades.
Lowery pled guilty to possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony offense on January 30, 2020. Lowery qualified as an Armed Career Criminal due to the numerous felony breaking and entering convictions. Accordingly, Lowery faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 180 months’ imprisonment. Citing the years of criminal conduct, including breaking into a middle school and church at the age of 37, U.S. District Judge James C. Dever, III found a sentence above the minimum requirement was necessary and appropriate to protect the public and promote respect for the law.
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.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) 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. 7:18-CR-120-D.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Man Convicted of Methamphetamine and Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Dover, North Carolina man yesterday on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fifty grams of more of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine, as well as, possession with the intent to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of heroin.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Terrence Denon Miller, a/k/a “Wank,” 30, was previously convicted in 2016 of felony possession with intent to sell and deliver schedule II-cocaine, attempted trafficking in opium or heroin, and possession with intent to sell and deliver schedule II-oxycodone in a Craven County, North Carolina Superior Court. Based upon these convictions, Miller was placed on state probation, including electronic monitoring.
On April 6, 2018, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety: Adult Probation and Parole conducted a probationary search at the defendant’s home in La Grange, North Carolina. During the search, the probation officer requested assistance from the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office and a Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force Officer. Upon seeing law enforcement enter his home, Miller attempted to run towards the kitchen. Narco, a canine with the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office, alerted to the presence of drugs in the home. Officers seized over 80 grams of crystal methamphetamine, a quantity amount of heroin, and two digital scales in the kitchen. Marijuana, a marijuana grinder, and a magazine to a gun loaded with ammunition were located in the master bedroom and bathroom. The DEA Lab analyzed the methamphetamine and determined it had a 95% purity.
During the trial, there was testimony that the defendant’s previous home in Dover, North Carolina had been searched by the Craven County Sheriff’s Office in 2014 where officers at that time seized oxycodone pills, cocaine base (crack), and over $4,000. In 2016, the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office surveilled Miller while he met with individuals at a business in Duplin County known for drug trafficking.
Miller faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced in November 2020. Additionally, the court ordered Miller to forfeit a 2007 Mercedes Benz Coupe.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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, Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office, Craven County Sheriff’s Office, Duplin County Sheriff’s Office, Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina Department of Public Safety: Adult Probation and Parole investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dena J. King 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. 4:18-cr-00054-FL-1.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Roseboro Man Sentenced to 31 Years’ Imprisonment After Carjacking and Multi-Victim Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Roseboro man was sentenced today to 372 months in prison for carjacking, possession of a firearm in furtherance of the carjacking, possession of a stolen firearm, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. The defendant, Demery Bernard McLymore, 26, was convicted by jury trial in February of each of the four counts alleged in the indictment.
The evidence at trial showed that beginning in the afternoon of Saturday, September 3, 2016, and running into the early morning hours of the next day, McLymore committed a series of armed robberies, involving a dozen total victims.
Around 8:00 p.m. on that Saturday night, McLymore and another man, Ambrose Lassiter, approached a group of six boys who were in a car that had just parked at the Brantwood Court apartments in Roseboro, North Carolina. The boys, the oldest of which was 18, had gotten together to go to a party that evening. McLymore pulled out a silver handgun and ordered them out of the car. Lassiter tried to intervene but backed away when McLymore threatened to kill everyone. McLymore then proceeded to rob the boys, holding the firearm to the neck of one boy, and against the torso of two more. He collected a few dollars, a cell phone, and also took one boy’s shoes. McLymore then ordered the driver to drive him and Lassiter to Clinton. The boy did so, as McLymore sat in the passenger seat with the gun on his lap.
Not long after being dropped off in Clinton, McLymore approached a woman who was walking down the street in an area of Clinton known as “the Block.” He showed her that he was carrying the silver handgun, and after walking with her for a few minutes, he pulled out the gun and walked her at gunpoint into an apartment where she had been headed. McLymore proceeded to rob the resident of a wristwatch at gunpoint, but the woman was able to run out of the front door.
McLymore next appeared about a mile away at the Spirit convenience store in Clinton. In the parking lot of the store, he encountered two young men in a truck, who were stopping by the store on their way out of town for a party. McLymore asked for a ride to his girlfriend’s residence on the Block, and the men agreed. Once at the girlfriend’s residence, McLymore claimed to have lost a pistol. As the men looked for the pistol, McLymore grabbed a shotgun belonging to the driver that had been on a rack in the truck. He pointed the gun at both men and then forced the passenger, at gunpoint, to walk down the road with him.
A couple blocks down the road, McLymore spotted two young boys, 13 and 16 years old, and approached them with the shotgun. He pointed the shotgun at the boys’ chin and chests, then forced the passenger of the truck to check the boys’ pockets for money. McLymore then ordered the boys to strip to their underwear, before running back in the direction of his girlfriend’s house.
Clinton Police Department officers at this time were investigating the earlier residential robbery, and one officer spotted McLymore walking with a shotgun behind a house. With a tip from a neighbor, law enforcement tracked McLymore to the residence he had identified as his girlfriend’s house. They found him in a bedroom with a wristwatch, wadded up money, a shotgun shell, and over three dozen .380 caliber bullets in his pockets. Behind the house, officers found the stolen shotgun, loaded with three shotgun shells that matched the one found in McLymore’s pocket.
Mr. Higdon commented: “Demery McLymore was a one man crime wave. And he is just the kind of offender that we are Taking Back North Carolina from as part of our initiative to rid our communities of those individuals who make them unsafe. We are gratified by the sentence the Court imposed today because every day McLymore spends in prison is a safer day in the streets of the Eastern District.”
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.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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 Clinton Police Department, Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Jake D. Pugh and Aakash Singh 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. 7:18-cr-0148-D.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Alien Indicted on Illegal Reentry ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging CARLOS CASTILLO-RODRIGUEZ, age 40, of Honduras, with illegal reentry of a removed alien.
If convicted of illegal reentry, CASTILLO-RODRIGUEZ, previously deported three times and found in Wake County, would face a maximum imprisonment term of two years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Raleigh Man Receives Life Imprisonment for Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced today to life in prison for human trafficking. Brandon Marquis Jennings received his sentence in United States District Court in New Bern.
According to the court documents and evidence presented at the trial in this matter in June of last year, from 2013 until late 2016 Jennings prostituted women and children here in the Eastern District of North Carolina and at other locations around the United States.
Victims told investigators and the trial jury that Jennings would use a number of techniques to get each of them to trust and rely on him and would then convince them to work with him and to commercially prostitute themselves. Once they started, Jennings would use a variety of methods to intimidate them and to ensure they remained “willing” to engage in prostitution. At times he would physically and mentally abuse them, deprive them of food and he would withhold all their money, rendering them helpless and unable to leave.
Jennings was charged with 13 counts related to the prostitution and human trafficking activities: two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; two counts of sex trafficking of a minor; one count involving the manufacture of child pornography; six counts of interstate transportation for purposes of engaging in prostitution (often referred to as violations of the Mann Act); one count involving the use of the internet to promote an unlawful business, namely a prostitution business; and one count of interstate transportation of a minor for illegal sexual activity.
On June 13, 2019, Jennings was convicted of all thirteen counts following a jury trial in United States District Court in New Bern.
Mr. Higdon commented: “Today Brandon Jennings received a sentence he richly deserved. He was convicted of crimes we call human trafficking – that is, exploiting a person for labor, service or commercial sex. But, in reality, Jennings was running a form of modern-day slavery. He exploited some of our most vulnerable citizens, effectively imprisoned them, treated them as less than human and sold them out for sex to line his own pockets. My office and the entire Justice Department are focused on these crimes and we are committed to prosecuting anyone involved and to ridding our communities of this horrendous offense.”
“Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery, and the threats and abuse inflicted on these particular victims show why these cases are a top priority for HSI investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte Ronnie Martinez. “HSI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to find and prosecute criminal traffickers while ensuring the victims of these terrible crimes are rescued and get the care they need.”
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel 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-318-FL.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Bladenboro Gang Member Sentenced on Firearm Charge After Leading Three Men in Daytime BurglaryRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Bladenboro man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on the morning of April 5, 2018, four people—defendant Devin Antonio Manuel, codefendants Jaden Davis and Charles Smith, and a juvenile male—burglarized a home in Bladenboro, North Carolina. They stole many items, including a television, cellular phones, gaming consoles, and a safe that contained five firearms. In positioning their car to load the items, they damaged the victims’ porch and left blue paint on a railing. The men then drove to an isolated field where they broke into the safe, removed the firearms, and started a fire in which they burned much of the other property in the safe, including victim family heirlooms.
On October 8, 2019, Davis was sentenced to 13 months in prison and on August 27, 2019, Smith received a 21-month sentence for their involvement in these crimes.
Later the same day, a pair of men attempted to pawn two class rings from the burglary at a store in Elizabethtown. The store owner, who personally knew the victims and saw their names engraved on the rings, reported the event to the victims and later to police. The owner identified Manuel, a known member of the Bloods street gang, as one of the men involved.
The next day, acting on an anonymous tip, police recovered one of the firearms in a parking lot of an apartment complex in Bladenboro. Four people, including codefendant Jaden Davis and the juvenile who participated in the burglary, were standing behind the trunk of a car looking at a Ruger .22 caliber rifle. The rifle was one of the firearms stolen in the burglary, and Davis was wearing a watch that had been stolen. The juvenile confessed to the crime and identified his accomplices. Law enforcement later confirmed codefendant Charles Smith’s involvement based on GPS data from his car, as well as damage to his car and blue paint that matched the damage to the victims’ porch. Forensics subsequently identified latent fingerprints from the gun safe left in the field as belonging to Manuel.
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.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bladen County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 7:18-cr-0196-FL.
Armed Drug Dealer Receives 80 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Wilmington man, Tysuan Nash, 31 was sentenced today to 80 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine and a quantity of heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and information provided in court, on September 15, 2017, Nash was stopped by a New Hanover County Sheriff’s deputy for a traffic violation. Nash had an outstanding order for arrest. During a search of the car, law enforcement found a quantity of crack cocaine, $2,565 and a loaded .38 caliber handgun. Nash was arrested and was released. On November 7, 2017, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office narcotics detectives made a controlled purchase of heroin and crack from Nash. Nash was subsequently arrested during a traffic stop. Detectives found a .380 caliber handgun, 2 clips of heroin, almost three ounces of crack and $536 which included buy money from the earlier controlled purchase. Detectives learned that Nash had been receiving 9 ounces of cocaine at a time that he was cooking into crack cocaine.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The F.B.I. Safe Streets Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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-00059-FL.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Wilmington Man Sentenced to 67 Months for Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced to 67 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a felon in connection with a July 31, 2019 incident.
According to court documents, Eric Lamont Burch, 45, was charged with one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Burch pled guilty to that count on May 5, 2020.
On July 31, 2019, an officer with the Wilmington Police Department initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Burch was the lone, backseat passenger. As the officer approached the vehicle, he observed Burch conceal something under a backpack in the backseat. A subsequent search of the vehicle recovered drug paraphernalia and a loaded .38 caliber revolver was found in the backseat. At the time, Burch was prohibited from possessing a firearm as a result of prior felony convictions.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) and Wilmington Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of OCDETF Operation Round Tree Hill. An Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets. This OCDETF focuses on an armed drug trafficking organization responsible for bringing heroin and crack into Eastern North Carolina.
This case is also 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-00027-M.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Media Advisory In-Person and Remote Press ConferenceRead the Press Release
WHEN: Tuesday, August 18, 2020 approximately 4:30 PM (following sentencing hearing)
WHERE: Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we are giving the press two options to participate. The United States Attorney will host an in-person press conference in the media room of the United States Attorney’s Office following the sentencing hearing. There will also be an opportunity to participate via Webex if you prefer. The address for the in-person event is:
150 Fayetteville Street
Suite 2100
Raleigh, NC 27601
The link to join by Webex is:
https://usao.webex.com/usao/onstage/g.php?MTID=eb0d0e1cadc31d867d6d677fcb682633f
Re: Raleigh Man Sentenced for Human Trafficking
The United States Attorney’s Office announces a press conference and online availability to discuss the sentencing of Brandon Jennings for offenses related to human trafficking. Participants will also discuss ongoing efforts to investigate and prosecute these types of crimes. The sentencing hearing for Jennings is Tuesday, August 18, 2020 at 3:45 pm before United States District Judge Louise W. Flannigan.
Jennings was convicted in June 2019 of thirteen counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; sex trafficking of a minor; and production of child pornography; following a four-day trial in New Bern. More here. Evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that Jennings operated a prostitution ring involving numerous women and children. He typically enticed his victims to work for him with promises of love and money. After they joined him, Jennings ruthlessly manipulated, threatened, and violently assaulted his victims to ensure they would continue prostituting for him. Then he took all of their money. Some victims were minors, and he enticed one of those victims to send an image of child pornography to him.
Credentialed members of the media are invited to participate. Please RSVP by emailing Don Connelly at [email protected]. Let him know your preferred method of participating in this press conference with your RSVP.
Alien Sentenced for Illegal Reentry of an Aggravated FelonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Eduardo Aguilar-Arellano, 35, of Mexico, illegally present in the United States and residing in Johnston County, North Carolina, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison. On February 11, 2020, Aguilar-Arellano pled guilty to one count of illegal reentry of an aggravated felon.
According to court documents, Aguilar-Arellano, was excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on April 28, 2015, at El Paso, Texas, after having been convicted of Second Degree Rape, an aggravated felony, on April 8, 2008, in the Superior Court of Johnston County, North Carolina.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel Diaz 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. 5:19-cr-00458-FL.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Mobile Meth Manufacturer Receives 119 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced yesterday to 119 months in prison for conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and possession of pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Robert Cox, 29, engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine in Raleigh and then Wilmington, North Carolina. On February 12, 2018, an officer with the Raleigh Police Department observed Cox’s car parked in an AutoZone parking lot after the business was closed. The officer made contact with Cox and a passenger and observed drug paraphernalia. Following a search of the car, members of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation’s Clandestine Lab Unit found items that they determined were used for the manufacturing of methamphetamine and more than 300 grams of methamphetamine. Cox was arrested on State charges and subsequently posted a bond. In late May 2018, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Narcotic Detectives received information that Cox was now manufacturing methamphetamine in Wilmington. On June 19, 2018, detectives obtained a search warrant for Cox’s residence and car in Wilmington. Cox was stopped at a DMV parking lot in Wilmington. The car contained items involved in the manufacturing of methamphetamine including 158 grams of pseudoephedrine. A search of his residence uncovered additional items used to manufacture methamphetamine.
The investigation was part of OCDETF Operation Speed Bump. An Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets. This OCDETF focused on the manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine into Eastern North Carolina.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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 (DEA) and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations led the investigation, with assistance from the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh Police Department. 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. 5:20-CR-00005-M.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Goldsboro Man Sentenced for Distribution of Fentanyl and HeroinRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Goldsboro man was sentenced today to 87 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl and for Distribution of Fentanyl.
According to court documents, Donte Terrill Kornegay, A/K/A “Boston,” 45, of Goldsboro, was involved in the overdose death by fentanyl of a twenty-one year old victim in Sneads Ferry, North Carolina. Trial testimony and text messages and phone toll records recovered from witnesses’ cell phones established that on the night of April 6, 2016, the victim purchased fentanyl from a coconspirator, at the direction of Kornegay. In addition, the trial testimony revealed that prior to that night, Kornegay had been distributing heroin in the Sneads Ferry area since 2015.
Mr. Higdon commented: “The United States Justice Department and the United States Attorney’s Office are aggressively pursuing distributors of heroin and fentanyl. These drugs pose a serious danger to the people of Eastern North Carolina and we intend to remove that danger as part of our effort to ‘Take Back North Carolina’ from the drug traffickers and violent criminals.”
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Wilmington Resident Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ethan Ontjes and Toby Lathan represented the government.
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-00100-FL.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Former NFL Player Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute 1,000 Kilograms of Marijuana and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced today to 168 months in prison for conspiring with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and engaging in a money laundering conspiracy. He was also ordered by the court to forfeit $2,708,000 in laundered drug proceeds.
According to court documents, Richard Dwight Alston, 39, engaged in a multi-year and cross-country conspiracy to traffic in large amounts of marijuana and to distribute that high-grade marijuana to associates in Raleigh. After several years of investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service, on November 2, 2017, federal agents executed a search warrant for apartments that were suspected to be stash locations for Alston’s large-scale marijuana organization. During the search, agents located over 40 pounds of marijuana and $371,670.00 in United States currency. Agents were then able to arrange for the delivery of Alston’s next drug shipment on November 6, 2017. On that date, agents arrested two individuals who were responsible for transporting the marijuana intended for Alston and others. A search of their vehicle revealed 7 large duffel bags containing almost 200 kilograms of marijuana, along with $67,814 in United States currency. A financial investigation conducted by the IRS revealed that Alston had laundered drug proceeds of over $2.7 million through a business bank account over a period of several years.
The investigation was part of OCDETF Operation Pick Six. An Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) led the investigation, with assistance from the Raleigh Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura S. Howard prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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-00005-M.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced to 57 Months for Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Fayetteville man was sentenced yesterday to 57 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a felon in connection with an August 2018 shooting.
According to court documents, Michael Prescott Bobbitt, 41, was charged with one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Bobbitt pled guilty on September 18, 2019.
On August 11, 2018, Bobbitt, who had a prior federal conviction for possession of a firearm by a felon, arrived at a Fayetteville convenience store. As Bobbitt approached the entrance to the store, he engaged in a verbal altercation with several other individuals parked nearby. Bobbitt escalated the altercation when he returned to his vehicle, retrieved a firearm and began to approach the other individuals. The other individuals fired before Bobbitt was able to do so, and Bobbitt was shot several times.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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 (“ATF”) and Fayetteville Police Department (“FPD”) investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.
This case is also 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. 5:19-CR-00090-FL.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
United Blood Gang Member Sentenced for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh Blood Gang member was sentenced today to 66 months’ imprisonment for illegally possessing a firearm in Raleigh.
According to court documents, Emmanuel Brent Sanders, 25, was named in a one-count Indictment filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina on August 22, 2019. The Indictment charged Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. On January 7, 2020, the defendant pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
On March 21, 2019, Officers from the Raleigh Police Department Gang Suppression Unit conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle because a wanted subject was spotted inside the vehicle. The individual seated in the driver’s seat was identified as Sanders. Officers observed marijuana on the floor boards of the vehicle, and so the occupants were removed from the vehicle and a probable cause search was conducted. Underneath the driver’s seat, officers found a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine and a round in the chamber. The firearm was listed as stolen in NCIC. Sanders was arrested for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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 & Explosives, and the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel W. Smith prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 5:19-cr-00335-D-1.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Three Northampton County Men Indicted on Federal Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned indictments charging three Northampton County men with various gun and ammunition offenses.
According to the respective indictments, Deryck Devon Bennett, 26, of Garysburg, was charged with one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Rasean Bolden, 38, and Tyshawn Williams, 29, both of Rich Square, were charged with felon in possession of firearm and ammunition. If convicted, each man faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Northampton County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Raleigh Man Receives 22 Years for Drug Distribution and Threatening a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced today to 264 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and threatening a federal officer.
According to court documents, Khalil Jordan, 24, was observed engaging in hand-to-hand drug sales within 1,000 feet of Carver Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Officers attempted to search Jordan’s person but he was uncooperative. Jordan told officers that he would kick them and make a scene so that the neighbors could attack the officers. While being led to the patrol vehicle, Jordan tried to break free. As a result, three Raleigh Police Department (RPD) officers were needed to place Jordan in the patrol vehicle and two officers rode in the back of the vehicle with him to prevent further resistive conduct. A strip search at the police station revealed Jordan had 3.6 grams of cocaine base in individually wrapped packages concealed between his buttocks.
At the police station, RPD officers, including a task force officer with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), were completing Jordan’s arrest paperwork when Jordan, unprovoked, stated to an RPD officer and ATF Task Force Officer, “If I ever see you again I will shoot you in the face.” Jordan then stated that he was a great shot and would shoot every officer in the room. Jordan further stated that the “next cop who jumps out on me better have their little pistol ready because I am going to kill them.” Jordan spat on an officer while being placed into a holding cell. Jordan told the officer taking his fingerprints that he would “smoke” her, meaning kill her, if he saw her on the streets.
This case is also 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.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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 Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Crosby prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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-00318-D.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Raleigh Gang Member Sentenced to 20 Years for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Charlotte man was sentenced today to 240 months in prison for Conspiracy to Participate in a Pattern of Racketeering (RICO conspiracy).
On July 22, 2019, Demetrius Deshaun Toney, 28, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy. According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial of the co-defendants, Toney, was a member of the Black Mob Gangstas (BMG) organization led by Demetrice R. Devine, which later became the Donald Gee Family (DGF). Devine also led the Gangsta Killer Bloods (GKB). The BMG/DGF are sets of the “Bloods” gang whose members committed various crimes in the city of Raleigh and especially in the area of Haywood Street. BMG/DGF members committed acts of violence to maintain membership and discipline, both within the gang and against non-gang members. Members committed acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, and assaults, in order to maintain their positions within the gang and to be promoted within the leadership structure of the gang.
BMG/DGF, including its leadership, members and associates, constituted an “enterprise” as defined by Title 18, United States Code, Section 1961(4), that is, a group of individuals’ associated-in-fact. The enterprise constituted an ongoing organization, whose members functioned as a continuing unit for a common purpose of achieving the objectives of the enterprise. The enterprise was engaged in, and its activities affected, interstate and foreign commerce. The purpose of the BMG/DGF enterprise included the following:
a. Preserving and protecting the power, territory, reputation, respect, and profits of the enterprise through the use of intimidation, violence, threats of violence, assaults, murder and attempted murder;
b. Promoting and enhancing the enterprise and its members’ and associates’ activities, including, but not limited to, murders, attempted murders, robberies, drug distribution and other criminal activities;
c. Keeping the community and rivals in fear of the enterprise and its members and associates through violence and threats of violence;
d. Providing financial support and information to gang members, including those incarcerated in the United States;
e. Providing assistance to other gang members who committed crimes for and on behalf of the gang; and,
f. Hindering, obstructing, and preventing law enforcement officers from identifying, apprehending, and successfully prosecuting and punishing members of the enterprise.
BMG/DGF also held gang meetings to communicate gang information, to recruit members, issue punishment and collect gang dues from each BMG/DGF member for the benefit of the BMG/DGF organization. A portion of the dues were saved and utilized locally in what was referred to as a “community rent box” (CRB) while another portion was sent up the chain of command to gang leadership in Virginia and New York. BMG/DGF members were permitted to earn their money for dues through various methods, including, but not limited to, robberies, fraud schemes, and drug distribution. The monies were used locally for loans to gang members, for drug purchases, for firearm purchases, for gifts, and cellular telephones for high-ranking members who were in jail. Devine ordered that individuals selling narcotics in and around Haywood Street who were not BMG/DGF members were also required to pay gang dues in order to continue their drug sales in territory controlled by BMG/DGF. Individuals who did not pay gang dues risked being robbed, assaulted, or murdered.
Toney along with other gang members conspired to shoot an 18-year-old rival gang member, Rodriguez Burrell, because Burrell refused to pay money to BMG/DGF. Burrell was shot multiple times in the presence of his father and died of his wounds.
In his leadership position, Devine directed members of his gang to shoot a 16-year-old rival gang member, Adarius Fowler, who died from gunshot wounds. He also ordered a gang member to shoot a person who provided information to law enforcement regarding the murder of Fowler. While this person was recovering from those gunshot injuries in the hospital, Devine ordered that the person be killed. Devine presided over a “beat-in” gang initiation of a BMG/DGF gang member and personally assaulted another gang member whose loyalty he questioned. Devine conspired with other gang members to silence and threaten gang members that had been provided subpoenas to testify in a federal proceeding.
Toney also sold drugs on behalf of BMG/ DGF. Toney’s sentencing was the final sentencing of a BMG/DGF gang member in a lengthy investigation as a part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation (OCDETF) targeting violent gang members and drug traffickers in Raleigh, North Carolina.
BMG/DGF’s leader, Demetrice Devine, also known as “Respect,” was convicted by a jury of RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, murder with a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and conspiracy to commit witness tampering. Devine was sentenced on May 22, 2020 to four consecutive life sentences, followed by 240 months imprisonment. Brandon Mangum, also known as “B Easy,” a high-ranking gang member, was convicted by a jury of RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, murder with a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Mangum was sentenced on June 22, 2020 to three consecutive life sentences followed by 240 months imprisonment. Jamario Keon Jones, also known as “Spect Junior” and “Skeeno,” was sentenced on February 6, 2020 to 132 months imprisonment for murder with a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Cleveland McNair, also known as “Blee,” was sentenced on May 8, 2018 to 60 months imprisonment for RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Christopher Darnell Evans, also known as “Racks” and “Snacks,” was sentenced on December 13, 2017 to 120 months imprisonment for RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Brenda Joyce Brown, also known as “Lady Banga,” was sentenced on January 16, 2018 to 42 months imprisonment for violent crime in aid of racketeering. Katherine Victoria Gast, also known as “Kat Stacks,” was sentenced on June 1, 2018 to 60 months imprisonment for violent crime in aid of racketeering. Finally, Shaiona Marie Smith, also known as “Slyfox,” was sentenced on January 19, 2018 to 78 months imprisonment for violent crime in aid of racketeering.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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 and the Raleigh Police Department led the investigation with assistance from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Wake County Sheriff’s Office, Raleigh/ Wake City-County Bureau of Identification, United States Marshal’s Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Assistant United States Attorneys Dena King and Scott Lemmon prosecuted this case with Christina Taylor with the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 5:16-cr-00012-D.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Fair Housing Act and Threatening a Family Because of Their RaceRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Justice Department announced that Douglas Matthew Gurkins, 34, pleaded guilty today in federal court in the Eastern District of North Carolina to one count of criminal interference with the Fair Housing Act, for using threats of force against an African American family because of the family members’ race and because they were renting a dwelling.
According to the defendant’s plea agreement, and admissions in court, the defendant, in December 2014, drove to the home of an African American family and yelled racial slurs at the family. The defendant told the family that they did not belong in their home. The defendant then threatened to shoot the family, to include four minor children, and any other African American that came onto the property. After making this threat, the defendant brandished a metal rod in a threatening manner. The family moved out of the neighborhood a few days after this incident. Within the next four years, the defendant engaged in similar criminal conduct toward two other African American families living in the same neighborhood.
“The defendant is being held accountable for threatening an African-American family because they were occupying a house,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice will continue to investigate and prosecute those individuals who interfere with federally protected housing rights because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.”
“This defendant threatened citizens of this District - a mom and her four children - because of their race. This is not who we are as Americans and prejudice of any kind is intolerable,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon Jr. for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “The defendant’s threats violate the laws designed to ensure fair and equal treatment for us all and I am pleased we could bring this matter to federal court to vindicate those rights and to stand with this mom and her children to see that justice is served.”
“Investigating civil rights violations is some of the most important work that we do,” said John Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina. “No individual should live in fear because of someone’s intolerance and hatred. Mr. Gurkins’ actions to threaten the lives of African American families, essentially making them afraid inside their own homes is deplorable. Today's plea is the first step towards justice for these families."
The defendant faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Charlotte Division, Greenville Resident Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, and Trial Attorneys Shan Patel and Laura Gilson of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 2:20-cr-00031-BO.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Fair Housing Act and Threatening a Family Because of Their RaceRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Douglas Matthew Gurkins, 34, pleaded guilty today in federal court in the Eastern District of North Carolina to one count of criminal interference with the Fair Housing Act, for using threats of force against an African American family because of the family members’ race and because they were renting a dwelling.
According to the defendant’s plea agreement, and admissions in court, the defendant, in December 2014, drove to the home of an African American family and yelled racial slurs at the family. The defendant told the family that they did not belong in their home. The defendant then threatened to shoot the family, to include four minor children, and any other African American that came onto the property. After making this threat, the defendant brandished a metal rod in a threatening manner. The family moved out of the neighborhood a few days after this incident. Within the next four years, the defendant engaged in similar criminal conduct toward two other African American families living in the same neighborhood.
“The defendant is being held accountable for threatening an African-American family because they were occupying a house,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice will continue to investigate and prosecute those individuals who interfere with federally protected housing rights because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.”
“This defendant threatened citizens of this District - a mom and her four children - because of their race. This is not who we are as Americans and prejudice of any kind is intolerable,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon Jr. for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “The defendant’s threats violate the laws designed to ensure fair and equal treatment for us all and I am pleased we could bring this matter to federal court to vindicate those rights and to stand with this mom and her children to see that justice is served.”
“Investigating civil rights violations is some of the most important work that we do,” said John Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina. “No individual should live in fear because of someone’s intolerance and hatred. Mr. Gurkins’ actions to threaten the lives of African American families, essentially making them afraid inside their own homes is deplorable. Today's plea is the first step towards justice for these families."
The defendant faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Charlotte Division, Greenville Resident Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, and Trial Attorneys Shan Patel and Laura Gilson of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, are prosecuting the case.
Leader of International Cocaine Trafficking Organization Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A man from Mexico pleaded guilty today to two offenses: conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine (Count One); and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and aiding and abetting (Count Two).
According to court documents and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bernave Millan-Rascon, also known as “Berna,” 40 years old, was one of two leaders of an international cocaine trafficking organization based in Mexico. Millan-Rascon directed the shipment of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from Mexico into Texas, and then into other parts of the United States, including the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Agents conducted a wiretap investigation and seized 16 kilograms of cocaine, $173,100, and two firearms in Benson, North Carolina and Willow Spring, North Carolina. During the wiretap, agents recorded phone calls in which the Defendant directed the shipment of large amounts of cocaine into North Carolina.
The Defendant was extradited from Colombia, South America for prosecution in the Eastern District of North Carolina. Millan-Rascon faces no less than ten years' imprisonment, and a maximum of life imprisonment, when he is sentenced during the court’s November 2020 term.
Three co-conspirators have previously been convicted and sentenced: Carlos Miranda Lopez (120 months’ imprisonment); Francisco Javier Rascon-Millan (12 months and 1 day imprisonment); and Malcolm Jamar Hird (120 months’ imprisonment).
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after Chief United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle accepted the plea. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Wilson Police Department, the Raleigh Police Department, the Rocky Mount Police Department, the Nash County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office assisted in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott A. Lemmon is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 5:18-CR-425-BO-1.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Four Oaks Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Four Oaks man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for unlawfully possessing ammunition.
According to court documents, on April 28, 2018, officers with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office responded to a burglary in progress. When officers arrived they observed several suspects flee the area on foot. While in pursuit of the individuals, a deputy observed Lamont Turrentine run towards a church building. Turrentine fired multiple shots at the pursuing deputy, hitting his patrol vehicle. Turrentine then took cover behind a building before firing multiple shots at the officer again. Turrentine evaded officers for a short time before being apprehended. Officers recovered a Springfield 9mm firearm on the ground behind the church in close proximity to where the defendant fled. A ballistics expert matched the firearm found on the path to the shell casings that were found where the shoot-out took place. Turrentine was found guilty by a jury on February 19, 2020. Prior to April, 2018, the defendant was convicted of multiple felony offenses including possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and cocaine distribution.
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. For more information about this initiative click here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/tbnc.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 5:19-cr-00245-BO.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Alien Indicted on Illegal Reentry Charges and Illegal and Unlawful Alien in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned indictments today charging SILVANO DOMINGUEZ-TORRES, age 31, of Mexico, with illegal reentry of an alien deported subsequent to 3 or more convictions involving crimes against a person and MARVIN DAVID CORTEZ-CUELLAR, age 30, of Honduras, with illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
Therefore if convicted, DOMINGUEZ-TORRES, previously deported five times and found in Wake County, would face a maximum imprisonment term of ten years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
CORTEZ-CUELLAR, found in Harnett County, would face a maximum imprisonment term of 10 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, if convicted.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Wake Forest Investment Advisor Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Wake Forest, NC man pleaded guilty today to wire fraud.
According to court documents, Anthony Wayne March, 49 years old, operated the non-profit 501(c)(3) entity Asset Trader, located in Rolesville, NC, between 2012 to 2015. March represented that Asset Trader offered educational services to professionals and taxpayers in the area of exit planning. Asset Trader’s stated educational mission allowed it to obtain classification as a 28 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization. Asset Trader used its §501(c)(3) tax-exempt status to solicit tax-deductible donations in exchange for charitable gift annuities (“CGAs”) and to recruit referral sources to obtain assets from potential donors. Through Asset Trader, March and his co-conspirators engaged in and executed what is commonly known as a “Ponzi” scheme to defraud investors by inducing them to invest with Asset Trader.
During the course of the scheme, March solicited at least 22 victims to invest over $8,100,000 in charitable gift annuities and other products offered by Asset Trader. March and Asset Trader sold these securities to victims as retirement or exit planning vehicles classified as donations to March’s § 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization. March did not utilize any of the victim’s money for charitable purposes; rather, he spent the money on payments, his own lavish lifestyle, and expenses of the scheme.
March pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to wire fraud and faces up to twenty years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced during the court’s November 3, 2020 term.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Kimberly A. Swank accepted the plea. The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the North Carolina Secretary of State, Securities Division conducted the investigation in this matter. The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Administrator for the Eastern District of North Carolina provided substantial assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Ethan Ontjes, Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Behr, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Harrington represent the United States.
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. 5:19-CR-383-H.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Pair Sentenced in International Gun Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Greensboro man, formerly of Ahoskie, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for conspiracy to deal and dealing in firearms without a license, and making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
According to court documents, multiple firearms were recovered at crimes scenes in Canada and traced back to Kadarius Williams, 24, as the purchaser. During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Williams purchased those firearms, as well as several other firearms, at gun stores in Ahoskie and Elizabeth City at the direction of his co-defendant, Barrington Strauchn, Jr., 55, of Winton. Strauchn financed the purchase of the firearms and then paid Williams a sum of money for conducting the transaction. Strauchn, who is a convicted felon for a prior armed bank robbery, then took possession of the firearms, which were later recovered in Canada at a homicide and drug trafficking-related search warrants. In all, Williams purchased seventeen (17) firearms and transferred them to Strauchn. During the purchase of those firearms, Williams falsely stated on government forms that he was not purchasing the firearms for another person. Additionally, at the time of Strauchn’s arrest, he was found in possession of a loaded Ruger 9mm pistol.
Strauchn was sentenced on June 18, 2020, to 102 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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, including their Canada Attaché, investigated and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 2:19-CR-18-D.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Fayetteville man was sentenced today to 168 months in prison for Cocaine Base (Crack) and Firearm violations.
According to court documents, Elbert Tojuan McNeill, 40, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 280 Grams or More of Cocaine Base (Crack), Possession with Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Cocaine Base (Crack), and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on April 20, 2020.
In January 2018, investigators with the Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) learned that McNeill was distributing cocaine base (crack) in the Fayetteville area. Agents then conducted several controlled purchases of cocaine base (crack) from McNeill.
On February 6, 2019, agents executed a search warrant at a residence associated with McNeill. Agents seized currency, cocaine base (crack), a stolen 9mm Glock handgun, and a stolen .40 caliber Smith & Wesson firearm.
McNeill admitted that since 2015, he had purchased more than ten kilograms of cocaine. He had then cooked it into cocaine base (crack) and sold it to customers.
Based on his criminal history, McNeill was determined to be a Career Offender.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s 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. For additional information about this initiative, click here https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/tbnc.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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 Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott A. Lemmon prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 5:18-CR-340-D-1.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Man Stopped at Fort Bragg Gate Pled Guilty for Gun Possession in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A man who was stopped at a gate for Fort Bragg pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
According to court documents, Matthew Earl Carlton, 30, drove a blue Mercedes coupe to a gate at Ft. Bragg Military Installation at 2:00am on May 14, 2020. Carlton’s car was searched after he did not have a driver’s license or military identification. A loaded Ruger P85 nine millimeter handgun with an extended magazine and a bullet in the chamber was found under the driver’s seat. In addition, approximately 162 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, packing materials, and $2,208 in cash were also found in the car. At the time of this incident, Carlton was on parole from the State of New York for First Degree Robbery and Criminal Possession of a Weapon.
Carlton pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), and one count of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 60 months in prison when sentenced at the court’s November 3, 2020 term.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the plea. U.S. Army Military Police and Criminal Investigative Division investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad DeVoe is prosecuting the case with support from Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonino Monea.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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-308.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Guns and Drug Conviction Gets Oxford Man 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – An Oxford man was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (crack) and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, the Oxford Police Department (OPD) received complaints of drug distribution activity at the residence of Thurston Darius Bobbitt, 37, in Oxford. As a result, OPD utilized a confidential informant to purchase crack cocaine from Bobbitt at the residence. A search warrant executed at Bobbitt’s residence and vehicle yielded a quantity of crack cocaine, digital scales, two firearms, ammunition, cell phones, and U.S. currency. In total, Bobbitt was held accountable for possession and/or distribution of over a kilogram of crack cocaine. Bobbitt had previously been convicted of a felony for which he received a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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 Oxford Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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-302-D.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Goldsboro Gang Member Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Goldsboro man was sentenced today to 204 months in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine and distributing five (5) grams or more of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting.
According to court documents, Alexander Rickey Shaw, Jr., also known as “Ruger Red,” 27, had engaged in a conspiracy to distribute multiple kilograms of crystal methamphetamine between November 2018 and his arrest in September 2019. Shaw was a validated member of the United Blood Nation gang.
The investigation was part of OCDETF Operation Carolina’s Ice Fall, which targeted large-scale methamphetamine dealers operating in and around Goldsboro. An Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets. To date, Operation Carolina’s Ice Fall has resulted in the prosecutions of 26 individuals for their role in methamphetamine distribution and other crimes.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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 Goldsboro Police Department, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration 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.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
East Lake Man Convicted on Six Counts of VandalismRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Richard Gregory Perrot appeared in federal court before Chief United State District Judge Terrence W. Boyle, and was found guilty on 6 counts of vandalism to two separate motor vehicles. Perrot is awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled in Raleigh on September 14, 2020.
Perrot was arrested and charged with 4 counts of vandalism on August 11, 2019, after he vandalized a vehicle by puncturing its tires at Ramp 23 within Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Additionally, Perrot was charged with two counts of vandalism of a motor vehicle by puncturing tires in an incident at Coquina Beach on August 9, 2019. Each of these charges carries up to a 6 months’ imprisonment, a $5,000 fine, up to one-year supervised release, and /or up to 5 years’ probation.
According to the investigation, between July and August of 2019, U.S. Park Rangers responded to 18 separate incidents of vehicles having their tires slashed. In several incidents, Perrot and/or his vehicle were observed in the same parking lot as the vandalized vehicles.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle accepted the verdict. The U.S. National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aakash Singh 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.2:19-mj-01070-BO.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Former U.S. Army Soldier Indicted on Conspiracy to Commit Marriage Fraud, Marriage Fraud, Harboring an Alien for Financial Gain, Visa Fraud, False Statements Under Oath, Theft of Government Property and Criminal Contempt ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a former U.S. Army soldier with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, marriage fraud, harboring an alien for financial gain, visa fraud, false statement under oath, theft of government property, and criminal contempt.
According to the indictment, Endasia Mahagony East, a U.S. Citizen, knowingly induced a foreign-born national to enter into a sham marriage with her for the purpose of evading United States immigration laws and obtaining lawful permanent residence status for the otherwise inadmissible foreign-born national.
East is charged in a 7-count indictment, if convicted she faces multiple counts of 5 years maximum imprisonment, multiple counts of 10 years maximum imprisonment, a count of 15 years maximum imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000 per count, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The case was investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF) in the Eastern District of North Carolina lead by Homeland Security Investigations.
A copy of this press release is located on our website.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Man Sentenced for Theft of Military PropertyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Louisiana man was sentenced today to 25 months in prison and ordered to pay $250,000 in restitution to the United States Army for theft of property belonging to the United States military, and for aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, Bryan Allen, 35, used his position as property book officer for the 4th Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, to steal items, and then cover the thefts by decreasing the electronic inventory, which reduced the number of those items expected to be located in a physical inventory. On at least one occasion, Allen forged the signature of another soldier to cover his theft. The stolen property included 43 enhanced night vision goggles, a U.S. military sensitive item made to military specifications, which require “demilitarization” and disposal/destruction in accordance with Department of Defense policies.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. Defense Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Division, and the Department of Homeland Security, Investigations investigated the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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-305-BO.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Wife of U.S. Army Soldier Sentenced to Prison for Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
The wife of a U.S. Army soldier was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, the maximum statutory sentenced allowed under the law for obstruction of justice, Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Robert Higdon Jr. of the Eastern District of North Carolina announced.
Shanynn Kemp, 52, of Cameron, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on Dec. 11, 2019, to one count of obstruction of justice before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Terrence W. Boyle of the Eastern District of North Carolina, who sentenced Kemp earlier today and remanded her to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
According to facts presented in the guilty plea hearing, Shanynn Kemp’s husband, Daniel Kemp Sr., was employed by the U.S. Army as an active duty member when he forcibly raped a minor victim. After an investigation into the aggravated sexual assault was underway, Shanynn Kemp intentionally harassed and dissuaded a witness from disclosing to law enforcement information about the sexual offense. Daniel Kemp Sr. was sentenced to life in prison on July 8.
The investigation of the case was conducted by U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon 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 in the Eastern District of North Carolina.
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.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Wife of U.S. Army Soldier Sentenced to Prison for Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH - The wife of a U.S. Army soldier was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, for obstruction of justice, the maximum statutory sentence allowed under the law for obstruction of justice, Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. of the Eastern District of North Carolina announced.
Shanynn Kemp, 52, of Cameron, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on Dec. 11, 2019, to one count of obstruction of justice before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Terrence W. Boyle of the Eastern District of North Carolina, who sentenced Kemp earlier today and remanded her to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
According to facts presented in the guilty plea hearing, Shanynn Kemp’s husband, Daniel Kemp Sr., was employed by the U.S. Army as an active duty member when he forcibly raped a minor victim. After an investigation into the aggravated sexual assault was underway, Shanynn Kemp intentionally harassed and dissuaded a witness from disclosing to law enforcement information about the sexual offense. Daniel Kemp Sr. was sentenced to life in prison on July 8.
The investigation of the case was conducted by U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon 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 in the Eastern District of North Carolina.
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.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 5:19-cr-00149-BO-1.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Two Indicted on Conspiracy to Commit Marriage Fraud, Marriage Fraud, Aiding and Abetting, Visa Fraud, False Statement in an Immigration Proceeding and Preventing Testimony of a Person in an Official Proceeding ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging both a citizen of Ghana, as well as a naturalized citizen of the U.S., born in Ghana who is also an active member of the U.S, Army, with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, marriage fraud, aiding and abetting, visa fraud, false statement in an immigration proceeding and preventing testimony of a person in an official proceeding.
According to the indictment, JOSHUA KWAME ASANE and LAWRENCE OPPONG KYEKYEKU knowingly induced U. S. citizens to enter into sham marriages with foreign-born nationals for the purpose of evading United States immigration laws and obtaining lawful permanent residence status for otherwise inadmissible foreign-born nationals.
If convicted of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, marriage fraud, visa fraud, false statement in an immigration proceeding and preventing testimony of a person in an official proceeding, ASANE, age 45, and a foreign student residing in Norfolk, Virginia, faces a maximum imprisonment term of 50 years, a $1,250,000 fine, a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, marriage fraud, and aiding and abetting, OPPONG KYEKYEKU, age 28, of Cumberland County, faces a maximum imprisonment term of 10 years, a $500,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The case was investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF) in the Eastern District of North Carolina lead by Homeland Security Investigations.
A copy of this press release is located on our website.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Raleigh Man Indicted for Setting Multiple Fires to Raleigh Businesses During RiotsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man was indicted for setting fires inside two Raleigh businesses after a demonstration over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced.
Richard Rubalcava, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was arrested on June 18, 2020, by special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and is charged by indictment with two counts of maliciously damaging or destroying, or attempting to damage or destroy, by means of fire or an explosive, any building or other real or personal property affecting interstate or foreign commerce.
According to the complaint, on May 30, 2020, at approximately 12:13 a.m., a fire was discovered at the Dollar General Express located at 149 East Davie Street, Raleigh, after it had been looted by rioters. Video surveillance was obtained from the Dollar General Express. The video shows Rubalcava enter the business and place numerous items in a Dollar General Bag. Rubalcava leaves and re-enters the business numerous times. Each time Rubalcava enters the business, he would steal items from the store. Further video surveillance captured Rubalcava inside the Dollar General Express setting fire to miscellaneous items located on an aisle endcap. Rubalcava appears to exit the store after setting the fire.
Additionally on May 30, 2020, video surveillance from Budacai Restaurant located at 120 East Martin Street, Raleigh, was given to the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) in regards to the restaurant being looted and a fire being set inside. After reviewing the video surveillance, RPD identified one of the subjects that entered the business as Rubalcava. The video surveillance showed Rubalcava entering the restaurant three times. The second time Rubalcava entered he stole the cash register. The third time Rubalcava entered he attempted to set a plant on fire inside the restaurant. After the plant would not ignite, Rubalcava ignited a towel and places the burning towel on a countertop. Surveillance video from both fires shows Rubalcava wearing the same clothing. Rubalcava admitted to RPD officers that he set the fire inside of Budacai Restaurant.
The counts charged in the indictment carry a statutory mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina credited the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) with the investigation leading to Rubalcava’s arrest and indictment. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel W. Smith of the of the U.S. Attorney's Office’s Criminal Division.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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-mj-01642-JG.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Convicted Child Rapist Indicted on Naturalization and Passport Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a naturalized citizen of the U.S., born in Mexico, with naturalization and passport fraud.
According to the indictment, J. Refugio Gomez-Juarez, age 51, knowingly failed to disclose during his naturalization proceedings that he had committed the crime of second degree forcible rape of a mentally disabled child.
According to the indictment, Gomez-Juarez was thereafter naturalized as a United States citizen and fraudulently obtained multiple United States passports.
Gomez-Juarez is charged in an 11-count indictment with naturalization and passport fraud. If convicted, he faces up to a maximum term of imprisonment of 25 years per count, a maximum fine of $250,000 per count, a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and the revocation of his citizenship.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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, are investigating the case as part of Operation False Haven. Operation False Haven is an ongoing initiative to identify and prosecute felons who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship.
A copy of this press release is located on our website.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Alien Indicted on Illegal Reentry ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging Francisco Javier Cortes-Gutierrez, age 35, of Mexico, with illegal reentry of a removed alien.
If convicted of illegal reentry, Cortes-Gutierrez, previously deported four times and found in New Hanover County, would face a maximum imprisonment term of two years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years for Ammunition ChargeRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Chancelor Johnson, III of Fayetteville man was sentenced today to 80 months in prison for unlawfully possessing ammunition.
According to court documents, on July 13, 2018, officers with the Fayetteville Police Department responded to 6338 Paddington Court in reference to a shooting. There, they observed a man suffering from a gunshot wound. According to the victim, Johnson, broke a window to the victim’s residence, and thereafter he observed Johnson pacing in his front yard. When the victim asked him to leave, Johnson pulled out a gun and attempted to shoot him. The gun misfired. Johnson ejected the round and pulled the trigger again—this time striking the victim in the pelvic area. Johnson then fled the scene. Multiple individuals advised law enforcement that the defendant threatened to shoot and kill the victim prior to the shooting. A short time after the shooting, law enforcement apprehended Johnson and found him to be in possession of a 9mm bullet—the same caliber bullet found on the victim’s property. Johnson is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing ammunition.
This case is also 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. For more information about this initiative click here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/tbnc.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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 (ATF) and the Fayetteville Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad E. Rhoades 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. 5:19-CR-00213-FL.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Oxford Man Indicted by Federal Grand Jury on Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging an Oxford man with illegally possessing a firearm and crack distribution.
According to the indictment, Connell Clayton Lester, 55, is charged with possessing a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order, possessing a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base (crack).
According to the indictment, on March 5, 2020, Lester, a convicted felon, possessed a Hi-Point 9mm handgun while subject to a domestic violence protective order from New York. It is alleged that the order restrained Lester from harassing, stalking, assaulting, or threatening an intimate partner and prohibited him from possessing a firearm. Additionally, the indictment alleges that Lester possessed with the intent to distribute crack cocaine and distributed crack cocaine. If convicted, he faces up to twenty years imprisonment for the drug charge and ten years for the firearm count.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Robeson County Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Robeson County man was sentenced today to 70 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for a firearm offenses.
According to court documents, Corey Elton Jones, 39, was charged in a superseding criminal information with one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Jones pled guilty on October 31, 2019.
In December 2018, Jones was less than a year into a 30 month term of probation after pleading guilty in March 2017 to a number of state charges, including a felony charge for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. On December 19, 2018, state probation officers and Robeson County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search of Jones’ residence. Jones initially denied having any guns but officers found a fully loaded .40 caliber handgun in a dresser drawer with Jones’ wallet. Another drawer contained a bag of ammunition and a .22 caliber rifle was also found in the closet of Jones’ bedroom. After his arrest, Jones waived his Miranda rights and admitted to possessing the handgun.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. ATF Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, and North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Corrections Probation/Parole investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.
This case is also 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.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 7:19-CR-79-D.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Highest-Ranking Member of Brunswick County Bloods Gang Sentenced to More Than 29 Years for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Tabor City Bloods leader Nicholas Shamar Griffin was sentenced today to 350 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Cocaine and 280 grams or more of Cocaine Base (Crack), and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Cocaine and Aiding and Abetting.
According to court documents, Griffin, 40, pled guilty to the charges on February 21, 2020.
In 2017 and 2018, investigators determined that the Defendant was a significant supplier of controlled substances in Brunswick County. The investigation also showed that Griffin was the highest-ranking member of the Bloods street gang in Brunswick County.
On July 31, 2018, members of the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Griffin. Officers approached the vehicle, and Griffin appeared nervous and fumbled with his wallet. The two passengers in the vehicle also appeared nervous and appeared to be concealing something.
All three passengers were asked to exit the vehicle. As one of the passengers exited the vehicle, he dropped two baggies containing 55.86 grams of cocaine on the ground and kicked the bags behind the rear tire of the vehicle. Griffin later admitted to officers that the cocaine was his.
Two months later, on September 28, 2018, Griffin got into gang-related argument with a victim. As the victim walked away, Griffin shot the victim in the back.
Griffin then fled to South Carolina to hide from law enforcement. On November 29, 2018, Griffin was arrested in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
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 on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement. For more information about this initiative click here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/tbnc.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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 & Explosives (ATF) and the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott A. Lemmon prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 7:18-cr-00174-D.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Goldsboro Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Goldsboro man was sentenced today to 240 months in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine and distributing fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, James Nathan Crawford, Jr., also known as “Stacks,” 25, had engaged in a multi-year conspiracy to distribute large amounts of crystal methamphetamine and heroin throughout Goldsboro, Kinston, and Sampson County. At sentencing, the judge held Crawford accountable for over 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine and over 500 grams of heroin, noting that Crawford had been in charge of others involved in the conspiracy. Crawford was a known leader in a local set of the United Blood Nation gang.
The investigation was part of OCDETF Operation Carolina’s Ice Fall, which targeted large-scale methamphetamine dealers operating in and around Goldsboro. An Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets. To date, Operation Carolina’s Ice Fall has resulted in the prosecutions of 26 individuals for their role in methamphetamine distribution and other crimes.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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 Goldsboro Police Department, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration 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-356-D-1.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Fayetteville man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for Cocaine Base (Crack), Marijuana, and Firearm crimes.
According to court documents, Joey Eduardo Ayala, 37, pled guilty to Distribution of 28 Grams or More of Cocaine Base (Crack), Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Marijuana, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on March 11, 2020.
On February 17, 2018, an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) met with a confidential informant (CI) who provided information about Ayala’s cocaine and crack sales. The CI also stated he observed Ayala possessing a handgun during his drug transactions.
A joint investigation with the Fayetteville Police Department (FPD), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) began utilizing this CI to make multiple controlled purchases from Ayala. On ten separate occasions, Ayala sold controlled substances to the confidential informant, including cocaine, cocaine base (crack), methamphetamine, and marijuana.
On March 28, 2018, the Florence County South Carolina Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Ayala. The rental vehicle was emitting a strong odor of air freshener that was placed around the gearshift. The officer also noticed a large sum of U.S. currency in the center console. Ayala gave law enforcement consent to search the vehicle. Inside the vehicle was $34,200 in U.S. currency, 0.5 grams of crack cocaine, and 2 grams of marijuana.
On March 13, 2019, Ayala was observed leaving his residence. Agents conducted a traffic stop and informed Ayala that there was a warrant for his arrest and for a search of his residence. Subsequent to arrest, Ayala stated that there was marijuana in the vehicle. Ayala admitted buying ounce quantities of cocaine and pound quantities of marijuana. Ayala reiterated that there was marijuana and a handgun in the vehicle. Lastly, Ayala stated he had a “few pounds” of marijuana at the residence and a small amount of cocaine.
A search of the vehicle revealed: two cell phones, a .40 caliber handgun, marijuana, and cocaine.
A search of Ayala’s residence found: cocaine, marijuana, suspected MDMA (methamphetamine) pills, U.S. currency, a money counter, a vacuum sealer and bags, digital scales, and a 9mm handgun. According to the agent, a search of the vehicle and the residence found a total of two ounces of cocaine (56.7 grams), 16 pounds of marijuana (7.2576 kilograms), approximately 1 ounce (28.35 grams) of MDMA, two firearms (noted above), and $6,500 in U.S. currency.
Based on the investigation, from February 2016 to March 13, 2019, Ayala is conservatively accountable for 1,336.6 grams of cocaine, 75.89 grams of cocaine base (crack), 54.298 grams of methamphetamine, 28.35 grams of MDMA, and 12.1451 kilograms of marijuana. Additionally, Ayala possessed a firearm in connection with his drug trafficking activities.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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, FBI, Fayetteville Police Department, and the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott A. Lemmon prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 5:19-cr-00473-D-1.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Smithfield Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A North Carolina man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for possessing child pornography.
According to court documents, Mitch Hamilton Parrish, 44, possessed several images of child pornography when law enforcement agents searched his home in Smithfield, North Carolina. Using digital forensic analysis, agents found child pornography on Parrish’s laptop. The agents also found internet search terms related to child pornography.
This is the second time Parrish has been convicted of possessing child pornography. In 2010, Parrish was convicted in Franklin County Superior Court of three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor relating to possessing child pornography. Parrish is also a registered sex offender.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. Homeland Security Investigations, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Cary Police Department and Johnston County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Parris and Melissa Kessler 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 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. 5:19-CR-00168-D.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.