Eastern District of North Carolina

GREENVILLE, N.C. – A Rocky Mount man was arrested yesterday on charges of selling firearms to felons and making false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers to purchase the firearms.

According to court documents, Kyristepher Wilford, 24, allegedly purchased firearms and then sold the firearms to convicted felons.  Wilford also allegedly made false statements on the forms required to purchase the firearms, stating that he was the intended buyer or transferee of the guns when he was actually purchasing the guns for other people.  The crimes are alleged to have occurred from February 2019 through June 2020.

Wilford is charged with two counts of selling or otherwise disposing of a firearm knowing and having reasonable cause to believe such a person is prohibited; two counts of knowingly making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer while purchasing a firearm; and one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license.  Wilford faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted.

Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives and the Rocky Mount Police Department are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parris is prosecuting the case.

Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-00126-D.

An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A New Jersey man who was on the run for almost two years was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.

According to court documents, Gregory Dennis Dayton, 49, was charged with one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2250. Dayton pled guilty on August 30, 2021. 

In 1998, Dayton was convicted of Endangering the Welfare of a Child in New Jersey after impregnating a minor. Dayton’s sentence included a lifetime requirement to register as a sex offender. Dayton has a lengthy criminal history with numerous prior felony convictions, including two prior convictions for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender. Dayton last registered in New Jersey in September 2018 and fled the area sometime after, resulting in a May 2019 arrest warrant. The U.S. Marshals Service (“USMS”) Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force (CRFTF) received the case on November 16, 2020 and apprehended Dayton the next day, in Washington, NC, where Dayton was living with a girlfriend and her minor daughter. In open court, the government explained that, while in custody, Dayton admitted that, if released, he could not return to the residence because of the minor daughter. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, New Jersey declined to extradite Dayton and, as a result, he was released and went right back to living with his girlfriend and the minor daughter while continuing to ignore his requirement to register as a sex offender. Dayton was arrested on the federal charges in April 2021.

Michael F. Easley, 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 U.S. Marshals Service, Eastern District of North Carolina, Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:21-CR-00025-D.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Harell Jamison, age 47, who was a substance abuse counselor for Substance Use Disorder Clinical Care (SUDCC) at Womack Army Medical Center, was arrested on November 22, 2021, in Raleigh for Sexual Contact without Consent and Sexual Activity by a Custodian pursuant to an indictment by a federal grand jury on November 2, 2021. The indictment alleges that Jamison touched an individual in the genitalia, groin, and inner thigh without her permission on July 14, 2021.  This touching occurred on Ft. Bragg Military Reservation and while Jamison was an employee of Womack Army Medical Center, an institution having custody of the individual.

If convicted of the Sexual Contact without Permission count, Jamison faces a maximum imprisonment term of not more than two years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. If convicted of the Sexual Activity by a Custodian count, Jamison faces a maximum imprisonment term of not more than 88 months, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the case. 

An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Michael F. Easley, Jr. has taken the oath of office to become the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.  Mr. Easley was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden Jr on September 28, 2021 and confirmed by the United States Senate on November 19, 2021.  He took the oath of office from United States District Judge James C. Dever III.

Mr. Easley stated, “It is an honor and a privilege to serve the people of the Eastern District of North Carolina as United States Attorney.  I am grateful to President Biden for this opportunity, and I want to thank Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis for their strong support through the confirmation process.”

As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Easley is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the Eastern District of North Carolina, which includes the 44 eastern most counties of North Carolina. He oversees a staff of 119 employees, including 58 attorneys and 61 non-attorney support personnel.  The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms, and narcotics.  The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.

Mr. Easley was a partner in McGuire Woods LLP prior to his appointment and was a litigator focused on internal investigations and trial court work in state and federal courts.  He represented businesses and individuals in complex, high-stakes civil, criminal, and regulatory matters.  He has handled matters involving a wide range of topics, including criminal law, environmental, consumer protection, business torts, professional negligence, government contracting, as well as matters involving financial services and securities.

In addition to his practice in the courts, he has advised clients facing inquiries by the United States Department of Justice, North Carolina Ethics Commission, and matters before other governmental regulatory bodies.

Born in Southport, North Carolina, Mr. Easley attended the University of North Carolina where he graduated with honors and distinction in political science. He later received his law degree with honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law. While still in law school, Mr. Easley frequently prosecuted cases on behalf of the District Attorney’s office as an extern in the 10th Judicial District.

In addition to his work at McGuireWoods, Mr. Easley contributed time to various bar and community organizations.  He served as a member of the Board of Visitors of the University of North Carolina.  He was also a member of the Criminal Justice Section Council and the Integration, Equity & Equal Justice Task Force of the North Carolina Bar Association. Mr. Easley also served as a mentor in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s Success in Law School Mentoring Program.

 

RALEIGH, N.C. – Cedrick Tyler Armstrong, 36, of Zebulon, NC was convicted in federal court yesterday of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a two-day jury trial.

On October 12, 2018, an investigator with the Wendell Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle with two occupants, and Armstrong was the front seat passenger. After a baggie from the glove box field-tested positive for cocaine, police tried to remove the driver and Armstrong from the vehicle.  A struggle ensued and the Investigator was able to secure one handcuff to the driver’s left arm before the vehicle fled the stop, dragging the Investigator approximately 25 feet. The Investigator sustained injuries but was able to pursue the vehicle along with other Wendell Police Officers.  The vehicle led law enforcement on a high-speed chase through multiple counties reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles. Several minutes into the chase, approximately nine shots were fired from the passenger side of the vehicle at the lead pursuit officer, and the chase was terminated shortly thereafter for public and officer safety. A search of the area where the shots were fired located a spent 9mm shell casing.

Armstrong and the driver avoided law enforcement for several hours but were located later that night at a residence on Beauty Avenue in Raleigh, NC where they were arrested. A subsequent search of the residence found a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine in the reservoir of the toilet. Forensic examination of the gun and a shell casing recovered from the area where the shots were fired confirmed that the gun found at the residence on Beauty Avenue fired that casing. The handcuffs, a handcuff key, drugs, and the vehicle keys were also recovered from the residence on Beauty Avenue where the driver and Armstrong were apprehended. Additionally, Investigators executed a search warrant on the vehicle after it was recovered and found another 9mm round matching the same make and caliber of the ammunition found with the gun at Beauty Avenue and the shell casing recovered from the scene of the shooting. A review of Armstrong’s phone also recovered text messages in which he admitted to shooting at law enforcement. Armstrong faces a sentence of up to ten years in prison.  The driver is facing state charges.

Acting United States Attorney, G. Norman Acker, III, made the announcement following the trial held before United States District Judge James C. Dever, III.  Wendell Police Department investigated the case with the assistance of the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), the Raleigh Police Department, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, and the Zebulon Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dave Fitzgerald and Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-CR-00450-D.

NEW BERN, N.C. – A Greenville man pleaded guilty yesterday to Knowing Storage of Hazardous Waste Without a Permit, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 6928(d)(2)(A).

According to the Criminal Information, and information provided in open court today, Lee Vann Crawford, 51, of Greenville, owned and operated Eastern Electronics Recycling, USA in eastern North Carolina.  Eastern Electronics was a company that purported to be engaged in the responsible collection and disposal of e-waste, such as televisions, computer monitors, and other electronic equipment. 

Old televisions and computer monitors contain cathode ray tubes (CRTs) which, when improperly maintained and stored, can release toxic levels of lead.  Waste containing lead content of five milligrams per liter is considered “hazardous waste.”

As early as 2012, Crawford began collecting and storing large volumes of e-waste, including large amounts of CRTs, at 800 W. Green Street in Robersonville, NC, within Martin County.  Much of the waste at this location had been scrapped or otherwise broken down into smaller parts.  CRTs had also been shattered, releasing lead.  Crawford did not obtain or maintain a permit from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or from the State of North Carolina, to store the CRTs at this location.  Crawford also did not recycle or otherwise properly dispose of the CRTs. 

In June of 2019, the EPA executed a search warrant at Crawford’s storage location found a large quantity of shattered CRTs.  Samples of waste were extracted from various locations on the property, yielding findings of hazardous amounts of lead -- 102 to 188 milligrams per liter. 

The maximum punishment for Knowing Storage of Hazardous Waste Without a Permit is up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000 per day of the violation.  The sentencing for the Crawford is scheduled to occur in February of 2022.   

“The illegal storage and disposal of Cathode Ray Tube waste (CRT) containing hazardous amounts of Lead contamination needlessly put the lives of the resident of Martin County, NC, and general public at an increased risk to Lead exposure,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Carfagno of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in Atlanta, GA. “Today’s plea agreement related to that illegal activity demonstrates that anyone who intentionally violates the law and puts the public at risk will be held responsible for their actions.”   

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigative Division and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney William M. Gilmore represents the United States.

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-245-1D(2).

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Rocky Mount, North Carolina man was sentenced today to 180 months in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 1,000 grams or more of heroin and a quantity of fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and fentanyl; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, James Otis Davis, Jr., 33, was named in an Indictment filed on December 16, 2020. On September 21, 2021, Davis entered a plea of guilty.

In July 2019, agents learned that the defendant was selling heroin and fentanyl from hotel rooms in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

On September 16, 2019, agents conducted a controlled purchase of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine from Davis.

Agents then executed a search warrant at the hotel room where the controlled purchase took place. Davis and his 8-month-old child were present. During the execution of the search warrant, agents seized 33 bindles of heroin and fentanyl, cocaine, a digital scale, currency, and a loaded .380 caliber handgun.

On May 6 and June 4, 2020, agents conducted additional controlled purchases of heroin from Davis. On June 4, 2020, agents executed a search warrant on the hotel room Davis was using, and the agents seized 14.52 grams of heroin, cocaine, and a 9mm handgun.

On July 2, 2020, a traffic stop of Davis’s vehicle was conducted. Davis was found in possession of six bindles of heroin and fentanyl.

Davis admitted that he had trafficked more than a kilogram of heroin over the course of approximately six years.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The Nash County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott A. Lemmon prosecuted the case.

This case is also 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.

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 number 5:20-CR-538-M-1.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced today to ten years in prison on charges of Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, and Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g).  The defendant was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay restitution to victims in the total amount of $1,771,382.25.

According to court documents and arguments made in court today, Joshua Matthew Houchins, 36, owner of various Raleigh real estate development companies, carried out a Ponzi scheme upon numerous local real estate investors.  Houchins also possessed a rifle and several rounds of ammunition after having been convicted of a felony.

According to the superseding indictment, between 2014 and 2018, Houchins owned and operated Rossshire Development LLC, Greenstone Ventures LLC, and Modern South Development LLC, and used these entities to carry out a fraud upon his real estate development investors.  Specifically, Houchins solicited investment monies by telling victims that their money would be “put to work” on a specific property, and further represented that the investments would be secured by deeds of trust filed with the county register of deeds.  In fact, Houchins did not put all of the investor funds to work on the property on which the investor was solicited to invest, and instead, regularly used investor funds on other properties, or on personal expenses.  Likewise, the investor promissory notes were not secured by a deed of trust as promised.  In some instances, Houchins did not even own the property that was the subject of the investment, and, as such, could not truthfully grant a deed of trust to the investor. 

The indictment alleges that after Houchins diverted investor money away from the property on which the funds were supposed to be spent, Houchins failed to develop and sell the properties, as he represented he would.  Houchins then defaulted on the notes by failing to pay investors their promised returns.  The investors were unable to foreclose upon the investment properties because Houchins had not secured the promissory notes with a deed of trust filed, thereby resulting in losses to the investors.  Houchins specifically pled guilty to Count Nine, which alleged one instance of the above-described fraud on January 6, 2017.  As a part of the plea, Houchins agreed to make restitution to all victims for losses arising from the scheme and related schemes.

According to the second part of the superseding indictment, the grand jury began to investigate Houchins in 2018 concerning the aforementioned offenses.  Following the issuance of subpoenas to his attorney and to his various real estate companies, Houchins only produced a small number of documents to the grand jury.  Instead, the indictment alleges that Houchins admitted in February 2020 letter that he had “destroyed all of the evidence.”

The superseding indictment also alleges that Houchins, who had recently separated from his wife, began to send her harassing messages.  The indictment alleges that Houchins’ wife obtained a Domestic Violence Order of Protection (DVPO) barring Houchins from contacting, threatening, or harassing his wife.  While Houchins was already prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his status as a convicted felon, the DVPO further prohibited Houchins from possessing a firearm.

The superseding indictment then alleges that in March of 2020, Houchins communicated to friends of his wife that she had, “run to the police” and that Houchins has “no mercy on a lying rat.”  Around one month later, the superseding indictment alleges that Houchins sent threatening communications to friends and family of his wife, including photographs of Houchins wearing a mask and tactical vest.

The superseding indictment then charges that, following his internet searches for “killing your wife over love,” Houchins was arrested.  At the time of his arrest, Houchins was in possession of a Ruger AR-15, 4 magazines, a double canister magazine containing 100 rounds of ammunition, two boxes of .223 caliber ammunition, and a tactical vest.  Houchins pled guilty to Count Fourteen, which alleged that he possessed the Ruger AR-15 despite being a convicted felon.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina Secretary of State investigated the case.  The Wake County Sheriff’s Office, Apex Police Department, and Sanford Police Department also provided assistance.  Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Gilmore served as the prosecutor.

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-245-1D(2).

WILMINGTON, N.C. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina partnered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Unit (FBI), Wilmington Police Department’s Gang and Narcotics Units, the New Hanover and Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office Gang and Narcotics Units, and the New Hanover County District Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute violent Gangster Disciple gang members and a high-volume heroin/fentanyl operation supplying the New Hanover and Brunswick County areas from New York. The ensuing investigation, named Operation Tiny Toons, led to the successful investigation, prosecution, and conviction of 18 defendants.

According to court documents, evidence presented in court, and other information is some of the defendants and information related to this investigation.  

Darion “Pluck” Graham, 31, was sentenced on February 16, 2021, to 365 months imprisonment for (1) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 1000 grams or more of heroin; (2) two counts of Distribution of a quantity of heroin (aiding and abetting) and (3) Possess with Intent to Distribute of 100 grams or more of heroin (aiding and abetting).

Between October 2015 and May 2017, the Brunswick and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Offices with the Wilmington Police Department made several controlled purchases of more than 90 grams of heroin from Graham and persons working at his direction in various locations in Wilmington, North Carolina.  On August 29, 2017, the Wilmington Police Department and the ATF served a search warrant on Graham’s residence on Summertime Lane in Wilmington.  Graham was on house arrest at the time of the search for pending North Carolina state charges.  Law enforcement found a small quantity of heroin and fentanyl, packaging material for narcotics distribution, and more than $13,000.  Graham was detained exiting the bathroom with the toilet running. Law enforcement determined that Graham had managed to flush a large quantity of heroin down the toilet while they were making a forced entry into the residence. From February until May 2019, the Wilmington Police Department and the FBI made several controlled purchases totaling 30 grams of heroin from Graham.  On June 28, 2019, the Wilmington Police Department and the FBI served a search warrant on a River Front Place Apartment.  The apartment was rented in the name of Kayla Jackson’s mother.  Graham and Jackson arrived at the residence and fled upon seeing the police.  They were arrested in a wooded area near the apartment.  Law enforcement found 761 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture and more than $16,000.  Jackson had pending heroin charges in state court at the time of her arrest.  Qwanelle Ruffin was also staying at the apartment and was arrested on the same day.  During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Graham had more than 10 people distributing heroin and/or fentanyl for him.  Graham was supplying and working with members of the Gangster Disciples in Wilmington. Graham’s heroin was coming primarily from New York.  Graham was responsible for the distribution of more than 7 kilograms of heroin, more than 750 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, and a quantity of a heroin/methamphetamine mixture.   According to law enforcement, Graham was one of the largest heroin/fentanyl suppliers in New Hanover County at the time of his federal indictment.

Kayla “Lady K” Jackson was sentenced on November 9, 2021, to 85 months imprisonment for (1) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 grams or more of heroin; (2) Possession with Intent to Distribute a quantity of heroin and (3) Possession with Intent to Distribute 100 grams or more of heroin (aiding and abetting). On March 6, 2017, a Wilmington Police Officer stopped Jackson for a traffic violation.  The officer asked her to exit the vehicle due to the odor of marijuana.  Instead, Jackson fled at a high rate of speed, lost control of her car and crashed into another car.  Jackson then fled on foot.  Law enforcement found heroin and PCP in the car.  Law enforcement received information during the investigation that Jackson drove Graham to deliver heroin including a “golf ball” sized amount of heroin to Qwanelle Ruffin.

Qwanelle “El Patron” Ruffin 28, was sentenced on April 23, 2021, to 132 months in federal prison for: (1) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute (100) Grams or more of Heroin; (2) Three Counts of Distribution of a Quantity of Heroin and Aiding and Abetting; (3) Seven Counts of Distribution of a Quantity of Heroin; and (4) Possession With Intent to Distribute One Hundred (100) Grams or More of Heroin and Aiding and Abetting.  Between November 2018 and June 2019, the Wilmington Police Department, assisted by the FBI, conducted numerous controlled purchases of heroin and a heroin/fentanyl mixture from Ruffin and co-conspirators that he had deliver for him.  Ruffin had people delivering for him in part because he was recovering from a gunshot wound.  The investigation uncovered that Ruffin had also been packaging and storing heroin for distribution at residences on Spring Street and 13th Street in Wilmington.  Ruffin had been robbed of heroin on two occasions but continued to distribute heroin.  Ruffin was also arrested for his role in the heroin/fentanyl mixture that was seized on June 28, 2019.  According to a civil injunction, Ruffin was a member of the Gangster Disciples.

Maurice “Gotti” Bellamy, 29, was sentenced on April 23, 2021, to 132 months in prison for (1) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Heroin and (2) Distribution of a Quantity of Heroin.  On June 11, 2019, law enforcement made a controlled purchase of heroin from Bellamy.  The investigation uncovered that Bellamy was involved in the distribution of more than 2 kilograms of heroin. According to a civil injunction filed in 2017 against the Folk Nation-720 Gangster Disciples in New Hanover County Superior Court, Bellamy was a member of the Gangster Disciples.

Alphonso “Trick Rick” McClendon, 27, was sentenced on April 23, 2021, to 66 months imprisonment for (1) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 100 grams or more of heroin (2) Distribution of a quantity of heroin and (3) Possession with Intent to Distribute a quantity of heroin.  In May 2019, law enforcement made a controlled purchase of a mixture of heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine from McClendon.  On June 26, 2019, the Wilmington Police Department served a search warrant at McClendon’s residence. Law enforcement found 35 grams of a mixture of heroin/fentanyl, paperwork related to the Gangster Disciples, and a Glock magazine. According to law enforcement and the civil injunction, McClendon was a member of the Gangster Disciples.

Corbin Juran was sentenced on February 27, 2020, to 84 months’ imprisonment for (1) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, (2) Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute a quantity of heroin and (3) Distribution of a quantity of heroin. On May 1, 2019, the Wilmington Police Department responded to a call at a motel.  Officers observed Juran and a female walking from the dumpster behind the motel.  While speaking with Juran, law enforcement confirmed that he had an active arrest warrant from Onslow County.  Juran fled as officers attempted to pat him down for weapons.  Officers recovered a .22 revolver that had been in Juran’s waistband and a small quantity of methamphetamine, which he had thrown down.   Juran told law enforcement that he was a member of the Folk Nation.   On May 24, 2019, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Gang and Narcotics Units received information that Juran was going to pick up heroin from a source of supply at a mini-mart in Wilmington.  Law enforcement observed Juran enter the store and exit quickly.  Detectives performed a traffic stop on the car, and Juran was found in possession of 500 bags containing a mixture of heroin, fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl.  Juran told detectives that he had picked up heroin from this source multiple times over the last couple of months. According to law enforcement, Juran was a member of the Gangster Disciples.

Terrance Fisher was sentenced on August 27, 2020, to 112 months imprisonment for (1) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a quantity of heroin; (2) Distribution of a quantity of heroin; and (3) Possession with Intent to Distribute a quantity of heroin.  On February 19, 2019, the 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, 2019, the FBI Task Force and Wilmington Police Detectives conducted a search of a room at the Suburban Extended Stay in Wilmington where Fisher had been staying.  Law enforcement found a quantity of heroin in the room. Fisher was not present at the time of the search; instead, Fisher was visiting his North Carolina State Probation Officer.  Law enforcement arrested Fisher when he left the visit with his probation officer and found heroin that he had given someone to hold for him during the visit.  According to law enforcement, Fisher was a member of the Gangster Disciples.

Shamon “Toe” Kinston, 41, was sentenced on August 23, 2019, to 90 months’ imprisonment, for (1) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 500 grams or more of cocaine, (2) Distribution of a quantity of heroin and (3) Possession with the Intent to Distribute a quantity of heroin and a quantity of crack cocaine.  On August 20, 2018, the Wilmington Police Department searched Kinston’s residence and found 71 grams of heroin, approximately a half an ounce of crack cocaine, and more than $6,000 in cash.  Prior to the search of the residence, Wilmington Police Officers attempted to perform a traffic stop on Kinston.  Kinston refused to stop and took police on a high-speed chase.  Kinston ultimately wrecked his motorcycle and was arrested.  During the investigation, law enforcement learned that the items seized were a part of a kilogram of cocaine and 200 grams of heroin that Kinston had been provided for distribution in New Hanover County.

Miguel Angel Ramos, 31, was sentenced on February 17, 2021, to 156 months imprisonment for distribution of a quantity of fentanyl.   The Wilmington Police Department and the FBI Safe Streets Unit made two controlled purchases from Ramos in July 2019.  Ramos had prior state convictions for possession with the intent deliver a controlled substance and trafficking in heroin/opium.

Latwon “Birdy Bird” James, 40, was sentenced on December 1, 2020, to a total of 288 months in prison for (1) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a quantity of heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl and 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack), (2) Distribution of a quantity of heroin and fentanyl, (3) Possession with the Intent to Distribute a quantity of heroin, fentanyl and more than twenty-eight (28) grams of cocaine base (crack).  From July 2018 to July 2019, law enforcement made controlled purchases from James on multiple occasions involving heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. In addition, James possessed with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, fentanyl and 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack).  James was on federal supervised release at the time that he committed these offenses.

A target of the investigation, Sherrod Crum, was murdered in Greensboro in May 2017.

The New Hanover County District Attorney’s Office filed a civil injunction against members of the Gangster Disciples (17 CVS 4184) in 2017.   This court filing contained a great deal of information collected by the Wilmington Police Department Gang Unit.

This is part of operation “Tiny Toons” which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Section, the Wilmington Police Department Gang and Narcotics Sections and the Brunswick and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office 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. 19-CR-00126.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Wilson man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possessing a firearm as a felon.  On August 26, 2021, Quarmaine Devonta Daniels pled guilty to the charges.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Daniels, 26, was found in possession of a loaded .38 caliber revolver during a traffic stop in Wilson, North Carolina.  Daniels had previously been convicted of possessing a firearm as a felon in federal court in 2016.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Wilson Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Dodson and John Parris prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-228-BO.

MEDIA ADVISORY

 

WHEN:        Friday, November 12, 2021 at 11:00 AM

WHERE:     New Hanover County Historic Courthouse

                     Commissioners Assembly Room 301

                     24 North 3rd Street

                     Wilmington, NC 28401                    

Re:               Operation Tiny Toons

RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office announces a press conference to discuss the sentencing of multiple gang members in a multi-year heroin/fentanyl conspiracy investigation in Wilmington and New Hanover County.  We will also highlight the important partnerships between all levels of law enforcement and the partnership between the United States Attorney’s and the District Attorney’s Offices in this and other investigations during the preceding year.  The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wilmington Police Department, New Hanover Sheriff’s Office, Holly Ridge Police Department, and Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office investigated these cases.

In addition to Acting United States Attorney G. Norman Acker, III, representatives from the ATF, FBI, Wilmington Police Department, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, and the Holly Ridge Police Department are expected to be present at this event.

Credentialed members of the media are invited to attend. For additional information, please e-mail Don Connelly at usance.PublicInfoOfficer@usdoj.gov.  Please RSVP your intentions to attend the event.

RALEIGH – G. Norman Acker III, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced today that on October 20, 2021, a federal grand jury sitting in the Eastern District of North Carolina returned a sealed, twelve-count indictment charging 24 individuals with a scheme to defraud the federal government, the State of North Carolina, the State of New York, the State of New Jersey, and the Commonwealth of Virginia, of millions of dollars in tax revenues from the sale of cigarettes.

This investigation is an effort to end large scale tax fraud and to hold these defendants accountable for the millions in lost tax revenue as the result of their illegal scheme.  The individuals charged are:

• Bahjet Shaher Ahmed Dari, 58  
• Shaher Bahjat Dari, a/k/a “Boo”, 32                             
• Hashem Faraj Hatu, 30                           
• Tamara Delilah Richardson, 27                         
• Bismillah Barak, 38                                  
• Khalid Naser Hizan, 23                           
• Jymonica Arnez Gorham, 29                              
• Adam Husam Salem, 21                          
• Husam Khaled Salem, 60            
• Shelton Dewain Tenor, a/k/a “DC”, 50                                     
• Sierra Nicole Strickland, 28                   
• Noe De Jesus Vega, 45     
• Jermaine Tyrell Underhill, 28   
• Sameer Mohammad Dari, 53      
• Ali Osama Dari, 22
• Anastasia Chante Harrison, 29 
• Leandro Alberto De Los Angeles-Perez, 43
• Amer Mohammed Zughbi, a/k/a “Amer Mohammad Zughbi”, 21  
• Toribio Antonio Perez, 55
• Francisco Odalis Perez, 37          
• Jason Peralta, 22   
• Ahmad Awni Said Marzouq, 35 
• Abdulla Mohamed Aezah, 30                              
• Alicia Walker, a/k/a “Alicia Mendez,” 44

The defendants were arrested yesterday and will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers today.  U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III presides over the case.

In Count One, the grand jury alleges that the 24 individuals listed in the indictment, had been engaged in a conspiracy, beginning in May of 2021 and continuing until at least the time the indictment was returned, to ship, transport, receive, possess, sell, distribute and purchase cigarettes, in quantities exceeding 10,000 cigarettes (as required by the relevant statute), which bore no evidence of the payment of applicable State or local cigarette taxes in the state and locality where they were found.  The object of the conspiracy was to profit from the purchase of cigarettes with cash in North Carolina, drive those cigarettes to the northeast, and sell them without paying the applicable sales tax.  This is all alleged to be in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2342 (a) (which prohibits the trafficking in contraband cigarettes and smokeless tobacco) and Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, the general conspiracy statute.

It is alleged in the indictment that members of the conspiracy would repeatedly purchase large quantities of cigarettes from wholesale cigarette outlets in Rocky Mount and Wilson, and then transport those quantities of cigarettes to storage locations for future shipment to Virginia, New Jersey, and New York.  After purchasing the cigarettes from the wholesalers, members of the conspiracy would then prepare for transporting the cigarettes to the northeast by using large vehicles and cross into the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Counts Two through Eight allege seven specific instances where the individual(s) named in those counts (and who were part of the conspiracy charged in Count One) knowingly shipped, transported, received, possessed, or aided and abetted contraband cigarettes (in amounts greater than 10,000) which bore no evidence of the payment of applicable state cigarette taxes in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Each of these instances is alleged to be in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2342(a), as well.   

Count Nine alleges that all 24 defendants were engaged in a conspiracy to launder money in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(h).  In this count, the grand jury alleges that members of the conspiracy (a) conducted and attempted to conduct financial transaction affecting interstate commerce which involved the proceeds of specified unlawful activity, that is, cigarette trafficking, with the intent to further the goals of that crime, and that they knew that the property involved in the crime was in fact the proceeds of some form of unlawful activity; and (b) that while they conducted or attempted to conduct the specified unlawful activity – again, cigarette trafficking –the transactions were designed in whole or in part to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership and control of the proceeds of the unlawful activity.  So, in sum, the money laundering conspiracy count alleges that the members of the conspiracy were trying to either further the goals of the crime or to conceal the crime by using the proceeds of the crime in some way or do both those things.

Count Ten alleges that Shaher Bahjat Dari, a/k/a “Boo Boo,” an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States, possessed a firearm and ammunition.

Count Eleven alleges that Shaher Bahjat Dari, a/k/a “Boo Boo,” possessed with intent to distribute more than fifty (50) kilograms of marijuana.

Count Twelve alleges that Tamara Delilah Richardson possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of marijuana.

If convicted of Count One, the general conspiracy to traffic in contraband cigarettes, each defendant faces up to five years in federal prison and fines of up to $250,000 or both. If convicted of Counts Two through Eight, each defendant named therein faces up to five years in federal prison and fines of up to $250,000. If the defendants are convicted of money laundering as alleged in Count Nine, they each face up to 20 years imprisonment, a $500,000 fine or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater, or both. In Count Ten, the defendant faces up to 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine or both. In Count Eleven, the defendant faces up to 20 years imprisonment, $250,000 fine or both. In Count Twelve, the defendant faces up to 5 years imprisonment, $250,000 fine or both.

In addition, the grand jury included a forfeiture notice in the indictment.  That section of the indictment provides notice to each defendant that the items of property listed in that notice, and any other property which is the proceeds of or involved in the crime, is forfeitable to the United States.  The forfeiture notice includes approximately 10,000 cartons of cigarettes, $440,000 in U.S. currency and vehicles that were seized during the investigation.

Further, on November 5, 2021, Wasim Bahgat Dari, 30, will be presented for an initial appearance based on a criminal complaint filed today charging him with trafficking in contraband cigarettes, conspiracy to traffic in contraband cigarettes and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina said “North Carolina continues to be a target for cigarette trafficking organizations to take advantage of North Carolina as a source of supply of untaxed cigarettes. Any criminal activity that primarily conducts its illicit business with bulk cash, is susceptible to violent crimes occurring in those communities, can attract sophisticated and organized criminal groups, and could be a source of funding for terrorists.  This office will continue to aggressively prosecute those organizations that are travelling to or are operating in the Eastern District.”

“Dari’s scheme to launder money and sell contraband cigarettes has gone up in smoke and he will have to answer for his crimes,” said Special Agent In Charge Ronnie Martinez, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in North Carolina and South Carolina. “Disrupting and dismantling criminal organizations is a priority for HSI and we will continue to find, arrest and prosecute these criminals.”

“Yesterday morning, Deputy United States Marshals from the Eastern District of North Carolina, and the Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force assisted Homeland Security Investigators, Nash County Sheriff’s Office Detectives and other state and local law enforcement officers in the simultaneous arrest of 22 individuals on federal charges.  The coordinated arrests occurred in Nash County and surrounding areas, as well as in NY, FL & PA,” commented United States Marshal Michael East.  “The arrests were the culmination of extensive investigative work by HSI, the Nash County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.  The United States Marshals Service is always willing to assist our federal, state and local partners in the apprehension of criminal suspects and fugitives.” 

Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone stated, “This is a perfect example of well-trained law enforcement officers partnering with federal authorities for safer communities. With this case, it’s more than drug cigarette smuggling, it includes acts of violence. This is just another example of organized crime.”

"Edgecombe County Sheriff's Office prides itself on working with federal, state and, local partnerships to ensure our county and surrounding areas are safe and we will continue that relationship," commented Sheriff Clee Atkinson.

This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Nash County Sheriff’s Office, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, United States Marshals Service, and the Henrico County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office.

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. 5:21-CR-394.

An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Whiteville man was sentenced today by Judge James C. Dever to a total of 204 months for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Possession with Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Cocaine and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.  On June 24, 2021, Samuel Arnett Jr., 43, pled guilty to the charges.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office engaged in a four-month long narcotics investigation into Arnett.  During the summer of 2019, investigators purchased crack cocaine and firearms from Arnett utilizing a confidential source of information.  On five separate occasions, Arnett sold quantities of crack cocaine.  On two other occasions, Arnett sold firearms to the confidential source and on two additional occasions, Arnett sold both firearms and crack cocaine to the source of information.  Based on that investigation, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Arnett’s house in Whiteville.  Law enforcement found additional cocaine, drug paraphernalia indicative of the sale of narcotics, two other firearms, ammunition and United States currency.

Arnett was found to be a Career Offender, having two or more convictions for violent felonies.  In 2003 Arnett was convicted of two separate Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon charges and in 2005 he was convicted again of Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon. 

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Columbus County Sheriff’s office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson  prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-cr-00141-D-1.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Washington D.C. man was sentenced on November 3, 2021 to 180 months in prison for brandishing a firearm in connection to a crime of violence, possession of firearm by a convicted felon, and failure to register as a sex offender.  On May 6, 2021, Joshua Wendell Clark, 25, pled guilty to the charges.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, investigators with the Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office responded to a robbery call in Tarboro, North Carolina on August 24, 2020. Detectives learned that earlier that day, Clark robbed a Pizza Hut delivery man at gunpoint. When the delivery man arrived to drop off an order, Clark drew a handgun and pointed it at the victim’s head and demanded his money. Clark ultimately took $116 in U.S. currency from the delivery man. Later that same day, officers with the Tarboro Police Department responded to a shots-fired call at the 1100 block of Chapel Street, Tarboro. There they encountered multiple eyewitnesses, including the victim in that case, who advised that Clark attempted to shoot him while the victim sat in his vehicle. When Clark drew his handgun, a physical struggle ensued between the two individuals, and Clark discharged his firearm sending a round through the roof of the victim’s car. Clark then pulled the trigger multiple times after the first round, but the gun did not discharge and appeared to have jammed. Clark then ran away from the scene on foot. While on scene, officers observed a suspicious vehicle that continued to circle the area of the shooting. When officers stopped the car, they observed Clark lying down in the back seat. In Clark’s possession, officers recovered a loaded Springfield XD-40 pistol with a spent shell casing jammed in the chamber.

Prior to the events of August 24, 2020, Clark had a prior felony conviction for second degree child sex abuse from Washington, D.C. As a result, Clark was required to register as a sex offender but never did.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Tarboro Police Department, the Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 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. 4:21-CR-15-D.

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Rocky Mount man was sentenced on November 3, 2021 to 48 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, to be served consecutive to a term of 23 months for violating supervised release on his prior federal conviction for the same offense.  On August 8, 2021, Tyree Leron Stewart, 29, pled guilty to the charge.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, on September 16, 2020, officers with the Rocky Mount Police Department responded to a shot-spotter alert in the area of Henna Street, Rocky Mount, North Carolina. There, officers observed Stewart standing beside a vehicle parked in the driveway of his residence. When officers approached to ask Stewart if he had observed anything, Stewart began acting nervous and positioned his body away from the officers as if he were attempting to conceal something. Officers asked Stewart to show his hands, but Stewart did not raise his right hand. When Stewart ultimately raised his right hand, officers heard a loud thud on the ground. Officers observed a sawed-off shotgun on the ground and ordered Stewart to step away. Before officers could detain Stewart, he fled on foot throughout the area before ultimately returning to his house. Stewart then exited the residence and surrendered to police. Officers secured a search warrant for Stewart’s residence and recovered twenty-two 12-gauge shotgun shells. The firearm was identified as a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun with a 13-inch barrel. At the time, Stewart had accrued three prior felony convictions for the same offense, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and was serving an active term of federal supervised release. 

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Rocky Mount Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aakash Singh prosecuted the case.

On August 18, 2021, U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced Stewart to a term of 23 months imprisonment for violating his federal supervised release.

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 Nos. 5:21-CR-194-M and 5:18-CR-168-FL.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Supply, North Carolina man was sentenced today to 240 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base (crack) and a quantity of cocaine; possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (crack) and aiding and abetting; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, Shawn Deontae Hewett, 37, was named in an Indictment filed on October 8, 2020. On August 2, 2021, Hewett entered a plea of guilty.

In May 2019, agents learned that the defendant was selling large amounts of cocaine base (crack) from his residence in Supply, North Carolina.

On July 24, 2019, agents executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence and seized cocaine, MDMA pills, currency, a 9mm firearm loaded with 27 rounds of ammunition, and a .38 caliber revolver. Hewett admitted he had been distributing cocaine base since approximately 2015.

On November 5, 2020, agents returned to the residence to arrest Hewett on federal warrants. In the residence, agents seized marijuana and cocaine base. In a baby bassinette, agents seized 4.5 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, 10 MDMA tablets, and a plastic bag that contained 0.8 grams of methamphetamine.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the cases and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott A. Lemmon prosecuted the case.

Valuable assistance was also provided by the District Attorney’s office for Brunswick, Columbus, and Bladen counties.

Operation Hell Swamp is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

This case is also 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.

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 number 7:20-CR-00162-D-1.

RALEIGH, N.C. – On Friday, October 22, 2021, a Scotland Neck man was sentenced to 192 months in prison for narcotics and firearm violations while on post-release supervision for a prior federal felony.  On April 2021, Gerard Roderkus Fenner, 40, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, marijuana, and methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon.    

According to court documents and other information presented in court, on November 26, 2019, Rocky Mount Police Officers responded to the Days Inn after receiving a 911 call about a fight involving a firearm.  The caller said the fight was over drugs. 

Officers responded to the hotel room in question and found the door locked.  The occupant, eventually identified as Fenner, refused to open the door.  Concerned Fenner was tossing evidence out the third-story window, officers went to the outside window just in time to find Fenner jumping.  Landing hard on the ground after the thirty-foot jump, Fenner was immediately arrested. 

Officers found over $4,000 cash stuffed in Fenner’s underwear.  Back in the hotel room, officers discovered heroin and fentanyl mixtures, marijuana, over eight hundred methamphetamine pills, and a loaded firearm.  At the time of the incident, Fenner was serving a term of post-release supervision stemming from a federal firearm charge in 2013.    

In issuing a 168-month sentence for the conviction and a 24-month consecutive sentence for the revocation of supervision, the Court noted the danger posed by the narcotics and firearm involved in Fenner’s trafficking.

“Our mission here at the Rocky Mount Police Department is to improve the quality of life in the city of Rocky Mount by building partnerships to reduce crime.  We value our partnership with our Federal Law Enforcement agencies, who assist us in creating a safe environment for all citizens who reside and visit Rocky Mount, North Carolina.  The Rocky Mount Police Department will continue to work with Federal, State, and Local law enforcement agencies while providing the highest level of police services,” said the Rocky Mount Chief of Police Robert Hassell.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. Rocky Mount Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated 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. 4:12-CR-115 and 5:20-CR-85-D.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Numerous defendants were sentenced in connection with charges contained in a 50-count, 2nd Superseding Indictment alleging various forms of Bank Fraud, Wire Fraud, Conspiracy, and Perjury.

The indictment charges that defendant Michael Griffin (“MGriffin”), operating from his business location in Raleigh and home in Knightdale, accepted fees from clients for alleged credit repair services.  The indictment alleges that, in reality, Griffin was creating fictitious credit profiles and fraudulently altering client credit data through the use of fictitious police reports.

The indictment further charges that various defendants, many of whom were family, conspired with MGriffin to defraud Synchrony Bank, a Lowe’s credit card provider, by opening credit accounts in the name of fraudulent identities, cashing out the accounts through prepaid card purchases, and then defaulting on the credit accounts.  The indictment also charges various defendants with similar frauds against other banks, including Capital One and Discover.

Regina Griffin (MGriffin’s sister), 49, of Raleigh, North Carolina, and former real estate agent; pled guilty to Count 29 of the 2nd Superseding Indictment, which charged False Statement to Influence a Bank on a Loan, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1014.  The offense occurred between February 11, 2019 and March 19, 2019, and involved Alcova Mortgage, LLC.  On Wednesday, October 20, 2021, the Court sentenced Regina Griffin to 14 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.  She was also ordered to make restitution of $70,606.72.

Sharon Annita Edmond (MGriffin’s sister), 57, of Raleigh, North Carolina, and an online pastor; pled guilty to Count 25 of the 2nd Superseding Indictment, which charged Wire Fraud and Aiding and Abetting, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343 and 2.  The offense occurred on or about April 16, 2018 and involved Strategic Funding Partners, doing business as Merchant Cash Group.  On Wednesday, October 20, 2021, the Court sentenced Sharon Edmond to 12 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.  She was also ordered to make restitution of $36,204.00.

Creshun Alexandria Griffin (MGriffin’s daughter), 27, of Knightdale, North Carolina; pled guilty to Count 16 of the 2nd Superseding Indictment, which charged Bank Fraud and Aiding and Abetting, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1344 and 2.  The offense occurred between August 11, 2017 and December 31, 2018 and involved Capital One Bank.  On Wednesday, October 20, 2021, the Court sentenced Creshun Griffin to 30 day in custody, followed by 2 years of supervised release, and 200 hours of community service.   She was also ordered to make restitution of $8,406.51.

Katina Griffin Perry (MGriffin’s sister), 48, of Raleigh, North Carolina; pled guilty to Count 27 of the 2nd Superseding Indictment, which charged Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343.  The offense occurred between August 21, 2017 and September 19, 2017 and involved Kia Motor Finance.  On Wednesday, October 20, 2021, the Court sentenced Katina Perry to 2 years of probation and 50 hours of community service. 

Harvey Griffin (MGriffin’s brother) 47, of Raleigh, North Carolina; pled guilty to Count 11 of the 2nd Superseding Indictment, which charged Bank Fraud and Aiding and Abetting, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1344 and 2.  The offense occurred between October of 2017 and January of 2018 and involved Synchrony Bank.  On Wednesday, October 20, 2021, the Court sentenced Harvey Griffin to Time Served, plus 3 years of supervised release.   He was also ordered to make restitution of $7,609.75.

Angela Griffin (MGriffin’s wife), 53, of Knightdale, North Carolina; pled guilty to Count 13 of the 2nd Superseding Indictment, which charged Bank Fraud and Aiding and Abetting, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1344 and 2.  The offense occurred between November 21, 2017 and December 21, 2017 and involved Synchrony Bank.  Today, the Court sentenced Angela Griffin to 12 months confinement and five years of supervised release.  She was also ordered to make restitution of $9,614.31.

Melvin Griffin (MGriffin’s brother), 45, of Knightdale, North Carolina; pled guilty to Count 18 of the 2nd Superseding Indictment, which charged Bank Fraud and Aiding and Abetting, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1344 and 2.  The offense occurred between October 5, 2017 and August 31, 2018 and involved Discover Bank.  Today, the Court sentenced Melvin Griffin to six months confinement plus three years of supervised release.  He was also ordered to make restitution of $42,861.98.

Jasmine Mariah Davis, 29, of Lakeland, Florida; pled guilty to Count 11 of the 2nd Superseding Indictment, which charged Bank Fraud and Aiding and Abetting, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1344 and 2.  The offense occurred between October of 2017 and February of 2018 and involved Synchrony Bank.  Today, the Court sentenced Jasmine Davis to three months confinement plus three years of supervised release.  She was also ordered to make restitution of $69,502.71.

Tyrone Edmonds, 47 of Weldon, North Carolina, pled guilty on February 8, 2021 to Count 6, which charged Bank Fraud and Aiding and Abetting, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1344 and 2.  The offense occurred between July of 2017 and August of 2021, and involved Synchrony Bank.  Today, the Court sentenced Tyrone Edmonds to time served and three years of supervised release.  He was also ordered to make restitution of $12,407.86.

In January of this year, Shawn Allen Farmer, 52, of Cary, North Carolina, also named in the Second Superseding Indictment, pled guilty to Bank Fraud and Aiding and Abetting, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1344 and 2, and Making False Claims, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 287.  In May of 2021 the Court sentenced Shawn Farmer to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay $42,783 in restitution.

Additional defendants Michael Griffin and Jasper Deonta Goodman have also pled guilty but have not yet been sentenced.  The maximum punishment for committing Bank Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, violations of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1344 and 1349, is not more than 30 years in prison.  The maximum punishment for Wire Fraud, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, is not more than 20 years imprisonment.  The maximum punishment for Making a False Statement to a Bank on a Loan is not more than 30 years in prison. 

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation with the assistance of the United States Marshals Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service.  Assistant United States Attorney William M. Gilmore represents the United States.

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-245-1D(2).

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Alexander Hawes, 36, of Duplin County, North Carolina, was sentenced yesterday to 145 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine, possession with intent distribute a quantity of methamphetamine, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and two counts of possession of a sawed-off shotgun. 

According to court documents, evidence presented in court, and other documents, on July 17, 2020 and again on August 4, 2020 the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office made controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Hawes in Rose Hill.  Hawes had a handgun during each of these deals.

On August 29, 2020, the Duplin County Narcotics Unit served a search warrant at Hawes’ residence in Rose Hill.  Law enforcement recovered a fully automatic rifle with a high-capacity magazine, a small amount of methamphetamine, and a sawed-off shotgun.   Law enforcement also found “buy money” from a controlled purchase that Duplin County had made from Hawes two days earlier.

The Duplin County Narcotics Unit working with the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Hawes at his residence in Rose Hill on December 9, 2020.  Hawes had a loaded handgun and rifle on his person.  Law enforcement searched his residence and found another fully automatic weapon with a high-capacity magazine, 43 grams of methamphetamine, and another sawed-off shotgun.

During the course of the investigation, law enforcement was able to determine that Hawes was responsible for possessing with the intent to distribute and distributing almost a kilogram of methamphetamine.

This is part of operation “Fighting Jelly Fish” which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office 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. 21-CR-00048-M.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Greenville man was sentenced today to 171 months in prison for Interference with Commerce by Robbery and Discharging a Firearm in Connection to a Crime of Violence.  On July 16, 2021, Tyv Vaaron Lemark Jones pled guilty to the charges.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Jones, 20, and another unidentified individual committed an armed robbery and shooting at the JIA Sweepstakes located in Greenville, North Carolina on January 15, 2020. Surveillance video footage from inside the business shows Jones and a masked individual brandishing a revolver and an AK-47 style rifle as they rushed through the front door. Jones and his associate are seen corralling the customers into a bathroom towards the rear of the business. Jones is then seen shooting through the bathroom door at least once. Video then shows Jones and his associate attempting to break into the business office. Despite firing multiple rounds through the office door, the door did not open. Jones then broke down the door using his body. At that point, Jones and his associate grabbed the female clerk, who was hiding underneath the office desk, assaulted her, held her at gunpoint and demanded the money. Ultimately, the pair stole approximately $3,000 in U.S. currency and two cellular phones before fleeing the scene. Jones fled to Hampton, Virginia, where he was arrested on January 22, 2020. A federal grand jury indicted Jones on February 10, 2021, and he was transferred to federal custody on February 23, 2021. 

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville Police Department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation’s Fugitive Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 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. 4:21-CR-10-BO.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Jaylen Nashawn Spivey, of Elizabeth City, was sentenced today to 64 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a felon.  On April 28, 2021, Spivey pled guilty to the charge.    

According to court documents and statements made during hearings, on the afternoon of Thursday, September 17, 2020, the Elizabeth City Police Department responded to a 911 call for a domestic disturbance.  The caller reported that a man had been yelling at a woman and was leaving the scene in a white Dodge Charger.  As officers arrived, the caller advised that the suspect was at the end of the adjacent street.

An officer went to that location and found the defendant Jaylen Spivey sitting alone in the driver’s seat of a car.  Officers approached to ask Spivey about the situation, and when Spivey rolled down his car window, they could smell marijuana.  They noted that Spivey’s clothing matched what the 911 caller had described. 

After detaining Spivey, the officers searched the car.  They recovered a scale and amounts of heroin and marijuana.  On the driver’s side floorboard, partially covered with clothing, officers found a black Ruger 9mm handgun.  In a later interview, Spivey admitted he had purchased the Ruger a couple months before his arrest for his own protection while selling drugs.  Spivey, who has a prior felony conviction for heroin, is a known associate of the Elizabeth City G-Shine Bloods street gang.  

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Elizabeth City Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-0044-BO.

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Cary man was sentenced today by Chief Judge Richard E. Myers II to a total of 165 months for Receipt of Child Pornography.  On February 19, 2021, Randall Womble Smith, 66, pled guilty to the charges.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, the Cary Police Department conducted a proactive investigation attempting to identify individuals using dark web websites and programs to distribute and collect child pornography.  Based upon their investigation, detectives received a search warrant for Plastic Tooling Corporation to search for child sexual abuse material.  They requested assistance from the Department of Homeland Security for the execution of the search warrant and the remainder of the investigation. 

Smith, owner of the company was present when law enforcement arrived.  Smith admitted to downloading and possessing child pornography.  He admitted he had been looking at child pornography for a decade.  When his digital devices were seized, investigators found nearly 9,000 images and videos of child pornography. 

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II.  The Cary Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson  prosecuted the case.

This case was part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level.  For more information about this important national project, Project Safe Childhood, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00438-M-1.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Jacksonville man was sentenced today to 144 months in prison for distributing crack cocaine, possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, and possession of a firearm by a felon.  On June 14, 2021, Robert Lee Henderson was convicted by a jury of those charges.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Robert Lee Henderson, 45, would drive from Jacksonville to New Bern, NC, in order to sell crack cocaine.  After selling crack cocaine to an informant in April 2019, detectives with the New Bern Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Henderson while he was traveling into town.  Henderson fled, driving through a crowded intersection.  He was arrested a short distance later, after he attempted to flee on foot behind a store.  Nearby, officers located additional amounts of crack cocaine and cocaine belonging to Henderson.  Detectives with the Jacksonville Police Department then executed a search warrant at Henderson’s residence and located four loaded firearms, over 80 grams of cocaine, smaller quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine, and over $36,000 in cash.

Henderson had previously been convicted in 2007 in federal court for possessing a firearm as a felon.  He also has repeated convictions in North Carolina for drug possession, assault, and accessory after the fact to second degree murder.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The New Bern Police Department, Jacksonville Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation were involved in investigating 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. 7:20-CR-107-BO.

NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal jury convicted an Ahoskie man today on charges of Hobbs Act robbery and aiding and abetting.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on February 5, 2020, Dytwan Donnelle Chamblee, 27, assisted in the robbery of the Duck-Thru convenience store in Cofield, North Carolina, located in Hertford County.  Chamblee committed the robbery while on post-release supervision from a North Carolina state felony conviction.  As a part of his supervision, Chamblee was subject to electronic monitoring in the form of an ankle monitor.  His co-defendant, Ray’Quan Langford, was also wearing an ankle monitor.  The evidence established that Langford robbed the store at gunpoint while brandishing a firearm and demanding money and other items from the clerk.  Langford also stole cell phones from customers who were in the store at the time of the robbery.  Chamblee’s ankle monitor data, which records GPS location information, established that he was the getaway driver following the robbery.  Chamblee is a convicted felon, having previous convictions for possession of a weapon by a prisoner, possession of a firearm by a felon, breaking and entering, and larceny.  According to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Chamblee is a validated member of the Bloods street gang. 

Chamblee faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced during the January 11, 2022, term of court.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan accepted the verdict. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office, the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ahoskie Police Department investigated the case.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.2:20-CR-51-1FL.

###

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Rocky Mount man was arrested yesterday on drug trafficking and firearm charges.  An indictment was handed down and an arrest warrant issued on April 7, 2021.

According to court documents, Rocky Mount Police Department found Charven Keivon Gorham, 28, in possession of marijuana and cocaine, $13,503.00, and two firearms at Gorham’s house on May 29, 2020.  At the time, Gorham was a convicted felon.

Gorham is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to sell marijuana and cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon.  Gorham faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. Rocky Mount Police Department, Nash County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating 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.5:21-CR-161-D.

An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Raleigh, N.C. – A Raeford, NC woman was sentenced today to 12 months and a day imprisonment and ordered to pay $90,003 in restitution for committing wire fraud involving an elderly veteran in her care.  On July 6, 2021, McNeill pled guilty to the charge.

According to court documents, Tracey McNeill, 51 years old, between February 2015 and February 2017, fraudulently obtained VA and OPM benefits by executing a power of attorney (POA) over a disabled veteran, W.R., who served in the U.S. Army, and worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 41 years.  The investigation revealed that McNeill arranged for the victim, who had dementia, to move into her home in February 2015, and then directed the VA and OPM to deposit W.R’s benefits into McNeill’s bank account between April, 2015, and December 2016.  W.R. passed away on December 6, 2016.  In total, OPM deposited $61,318, and the VA deposited $11,151 into her account.  A financial analysis showed that most of the funds were spent on McNeill’s personal expenses, including rent, utilities, credit card payments, and personal purchases.  Further, McNeill completed Beneficiary forms listing herself as the beneficiary of the victim’s retirement and life insurance benefits.   OPM disbursed W.R.’s life insurance proceeds in the amount of $17,533 to McNeill. 

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge James C. Dever, III. The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Office of Inspector General (OPM-OIG) assisted in this investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes is prosecuting the case.

Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-000474-D.

 

RALEIGH, N.C. – Today, a New Bern man was sentenced to 144 months in prison for the distribution of controlled substances in Craven and Pamlico counties.  On June 17, 2021, William Roger Swain, Jr., also known as “Swoon”, 37, pled guilty to Federal charges related to the distribution of methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, and cocaine.

Arising out of the same law enforcement operation, Kelly Jackson Gibbs, Jr. was sentenced to 120 months on September 27, 2020, for the distribution of heroin in Pamlico County.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Swain’s and Gibb’s prosecutions are the result of an investigation, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in conjunction with local, state, and federal authorities, into several drug traffickers operating in Pamlico and Craven counties. 

In total, Investigators attributed over 4,852 grams of heroin, 1,960 grams of cocaine, 141 grams of methamphetamine, and 684 grams of marijuana distributed into the community from 2012 until 2020 by the two men. 

“This is an excellent example of the continued efforts of local, state, and federal partners working together to combat the sale of heroin and other illicit drugs in our neighborhoods, with a focus on violent, repeat offenders,” said Pamlico County Sheriff Chris Davis.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencings by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office, New Bern Police Department, Craven County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the District Attorney’s Office for the Prosecutorial District 4 assisted with the investigation of the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney J.D. Koesters and Special Assistant United States Attorney John Newby prosecuted the cases.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:20-cr-00078-D.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Lumberton man was sentenced today to 192 months in prison for possessing firearms as a convicted felon.  On June 9, 2021, Michael Hucks pled guilty to the charges.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, from December of 2019 until January of 2020, law enforcement conducted an investigation into illegal firearm and drug trafficking occurring at 55 Van Born Drive in Lumberton, North Carolina. 55 Van Born Drive was a known drug house where armed drug dealers sold significant quantities of crack cocaine. In addition, multiple shootings were reported in and around the residence.  

On December 12, 2019, a confidential informant purchased a loaded AR-15 style rifle from Michael Hucks and another target of the investigation. Less than a week later, on December 18, 2019, a confidential informant purchased another rifle from Hucks.

Prior to December 12, 2019, Hucks had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses and was prohibited from possessing firearms. In fact, Hucks was previously convicted of three violent felony offenses and determined to be an Armed Career Criminal at his sentencing hearing.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Lumberton Police Department, and Robeson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Rhoades prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-CR-00184-D.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Wake Forest man was sentenced today to 276 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to 24 consecutive months in prison, for violating the terms of his federal supervised release for a prior federal conviction.

According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, Derek Louis Griffis, 33, was named in an Indictment filed on December 16, 2020.  On July 7, 2021, Griffis entered a plea of guilty.

Griffis was a high-ranking member of the Black Mob Gangstas (BMG), a set of the Bloods street gang that terrorized southeast Raleigh for years under the leadership of Demetrice Regus Devine, a/k/a “Respect.”

In December 2019, members of the Raleigh Police Department determined that the Defendant was selling crystal methamphetamine while on federal supervised release for a prior conviction, possession of a firearm by a felon.

From December 2019 to January 2020, agents conducted several controlled purchases of highly pure crystal methamphetamine (“Ice”) from Griffis.

On January 31, 2020, members of the Wake Forest Police Department responded to a call regarding an armed man at the intersection of Ligon Mill Road and Burlington Mills Road in Wake Forest, North Carolina. Officers saw the Defendant, who was near a vehicle that was occupied by the Defendant’s girlfriend. The Defendant then walked to a wooded area. Officers found crystal methamphetamine and a digital scale, which the Defendant had just attempted to hide in the woods.

Officers then executed a search warrant at the residence of the Defendant’s girlfriend, and officers recovered marijuana and 26 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

A few weeks later, a loaded 9mm firearm was located near the Ligon Mill Road intersection where the Defendant had been arrested. The firearm had been purchased by the Defendant’s girlfriend.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Raleigh Police Department, Wake Forest Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott A. Lemmon prosecuted the case.

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.

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-539-D-1.

###

 

RALEIGH, N.C. – An Elmwood Park, New Jersey man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for sex trafficking. Mark Daniel Benavidez was also ordered to pay $32,800 in restitution to his victims. On March 8, 2021 Benavidez pleaded guilty to one count of transporting a victim across state lines for the purpose of prostitution.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Benavidez, 40, was arrested in connection with an undercover prostitution sting at a hotel in Cary, North Carolina on July 21, 2017. Benavidez had rented two rooms at the hotel and was posting online prostitution ads for three different women. Benavidez had over $4,600 on his person at the time of arrest and drugs were found on one of the victims and in a bag in one of the rooms.

Investigation revealed that Benavidez began prostituting one of the victims in 2016 in New Jersey. While still in New Jersey, Benavidez recruited a second woman. Benavidez prostituted both women in New Jersey before traveling to North Carolina in early July 2017. Once in North Carolina, Benavidez recruited his third victim. Benavidez was physically violent with one of the victims, reportedly abusing her on a weekly basis. Benavidez exploited the drug addictions of the other two victims, becoming their sole supplier, worsening their addictions, and using the promise of drugs, especially heroin, to keep them prostituting for him. Benavidez controlled all aspects of their prostitution and took all the money the victims earned. The investigation also led to storage units that Benavidez rented in North Carolina and New Jersey, where investigators seized over $13,500 and $21,000, respectively.

“It is difficult to calculate the scope of damage caused by sexual exploitation and trafficking, which often leave victims with long-lasting trauma. Benavidez used fear, coercion, and violence to exploit and abuse his victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Ronnie Martinez, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in North Carolina and South Carolina. “HSI special agents, along with our law enforcement partners, are committed to pursuing those who perpetuate these horrendous crimes.”

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting 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 Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) and the Cary Police Department investigated the case, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel and Assistant United States Attorney Bryan Stephany  prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-CR-00337-BR.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Raleigh man today on charges of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, possession of firearms by a convicted felon, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Keith Lamont Thompson, Jr., 27, possessed two firearms and over two ounces of powder cocaine. On July 6, 2019, officers with the Raleigh Police Department received information that Thompson was in possession of cocaine and multiple firearms at his apartment in Raleigh, North Carolina. When Raleigh Police executed the search warrant, they learned that Thompson had ordered a female subject to hide his guns and drugs in her car. Officers searched the car and recovered 90 grams of cocaine and two firearms, including one that had been reported stolen. Further investigation revealed that Thompson was a convicted felon on active state probation for selling cocaine at the time of the July 6 search.

Thompson faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of life in prison when sentenced in January 2022. Thompson also faces enhanced sentencing penalties as a career offender due to a conviction in 2014 for Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon and Second-Degree Kidnapping, and a conviction in 2018 for Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver Cocaine. He faces a guideline range of 360 months to life imprisonment.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III accepted the verdict. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aakash Singh 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-00223-D-1.

NEW BERN, N.C. – A Henderson man was sentenced yesterday to 252 months in prison for carjacking and aiding and abetting, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and possession of stolen firearms.  On March 10, 2020, Cedric Jamal Kearney, 26, pled guilty to the charges.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, on January 4, 2019, Kearney and a co-defendant, Sherry Marie Richmond, robbed a Raleigh man of his car keys and cellphone at gunpoint. The crime spree continued on January 9, 2019 as Kearney and other co-defendants broke into a Holly Springs, NC apartment and stole several firearms and pairs of shoes. Finally, later that night on January 9, 2019, the Raleigh Police Department responded to a reported sighting of the stolen vehicle in the area of Shaub Drive and Teakwood Place.  Upon arrival, the officers witnessed Kearney and another man attempting to get inside of the stolen vehicle. Officers gave out commands to the men and while one complied, Kearney fired shots at the officers and fled on foot. Kearney shot Raleigh Police Officer Charlie Ainsworth two times. Ainsworth had to be rushed to WakeMed hospital with life threatening injuries, but ultimately survived. Body Camera surveillance captured the harrowing incident in its entirety.  Kearney was found several hours later in a shed of a nearby homeowner; still in possession of the gun used to shoot Officer Ainsworth. Kearney had one prior conviction for reckless driving out of Virginia.

“Today was a good day for both the Ainsworth family and the justice system. The Court sent a very clear message that these type of assaults on law enforcement simply will not be tolerated,” Acting U.S. Attorney Acker said of Judge Flanagan’s sentencing.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Boykin and Daniel Smith prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-CR-382-FL.

NEW BERN, N.C. – CiGi Potter, 37, of Pitt County North Carolina, was sentenced to 80 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, and distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine. 

According to court documents, evidence presented in court and other documents, Potter supplied methamphetamine distributors in Duplin, Pitt, and Onslow Counties. This included a violent white supremacist organization operating in Onslow County.  Two members of the white supremist group and a third person had ordered a pound of methamphetamine from Potter.  On April 12, 2019, at her residence in Farmville, NC, Potter only provided them with 8 ounces.  One of the individuals produced a firearm and discharged the firearm into the ground after demanding the remainder.  Potter produced an additional ounce of methamphetamine and the three left.  Farmville Police had set up a license check in the area unrelated to this incident.  The three drove towards the license check.  One of the passengers fled from the van and hid the methamphetamine and the firearm in the woods.  The methamphetamine was later retrieved and provided to a high-ranking member in the group.  Two of the individuals who initially arranged the deal have been sentenced in federal court.  The person to whom they ultimately provided with the methamphetamine is scheduled for sentencing in January 2022.

Prior to the above incident, on April 8, 2019, law enforcement stopped Potter for a traffic violation in Pitt County.  During a search her car, law enforcement found more than 30 grams of methamphetamine and a set of digital scales.  Later, on October 7, 2019, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Drug Administration conducted a controlled purchase of 4 ounces of methamphetamine in Lenoir County from Potter. ATF and DEA conducted a second controlled purchase of 3 ounces of methamphetamine from Potter on October 23, 2019.  Potter was arrested on federal charges in November 2019.

During the investigation, law enforcement was able to determine that Potter was responsible for possessing with the intent to distribute and distributing more than 6 kilograms of methamphetamine from February 2018 until November 2019. 

This is part of operation Fighting Jelly Fish which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Duplin, Craven, Lenoir, Pitt and Onslow County Sheriff’s Offices, and the Jacksonville, New Bern and Farmville Police Departments 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-00163-FL.

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Miguel Marquis Hutchinson, 35, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was sentenced yesterday to 90 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

According to court records, evidence presented in court and other court documents, on February 3, 2019, Hutchinson, during an encounter with Fayetteville police officers, gave a false name to the officers and made a suspicious movement with his arm as he exited the car. 

During the encounter at the car, officers smelled the odor of marijuana and conducted a search of the car which resulted in locating 19.33 grams of marijuana inside the center console, baggies, and a digital scale.  A loaded 9mm Taurus pistol was also located positioned and ready for use under the driver’s seat on the right side pinned against the center console. 

Ten months later, while on state pre-trial release for this offense, Hutchinson was a passenger in a vehicle occupied by two others and was stopped for speeding on Fort Bragg.  Military Police Officers located 3 firearms in the vehicle including an AK-47 assault rifle with an extended magazine and over $16,000 in cash at Hutchinson’s feet.   

Hutchinson was previously convicted of second-degree murder in North Carolina state court in 2006 in Cumberland County, North Carolina and had just been released from custody two years prior. 

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. Homeland Security Investigations, the Fayetteville Police Department and the Fort Bragg Military Police Traffic Unit investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel J. Diaz prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:19-CR-523-BO.

NEW BERN, N.C. – A Marion, South Carolina man was sentenced today to 90 months in prison for sex trafficking. Enrique Tyreek Williams was also ordered to pay $5,600 in restitution to his victim.  On June 23, 2020, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of transporting the victim across state lines for the purpose of prostitution.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Williams, 23, offered to let a homeless 18-year-old female live with him. After the victim was isolated from family and friends, with no money, no job, and no phone, Williams revealed his plan to have her prostitute for him. Fearing physical violence and feeling she had no choice, the victim complied. In late Summer and early Fall 2018, Williams proceeded to prostitute the victim in South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina, including approximately 8 prostitution trips to Wilmington, NC. Williams controlled all aspects of the prostitution and took all the money the victim earned. The victim’s fears of physical violence were realized, as she reported approximately 20 instances of physical violence by Williams in their short time together. In particular, investigators obtained evidence from an October 1, 2018 incident in which Williams dragged the victim out of a house by her hair and violently attacked her in front of numerous witnesses. Williams even video-recorded the attack on his phone. Police responded and the victim was transported to the hospital and treated. Shortly after, Williams told the victim she owed him and again took her to Wilmington to prostitute. During the trip, Williams was caught in an undercover sting operation and investigators recovered the victim.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. Mr. Acker commented: “This case is about the victim, who suffered at the hands of a greedy trafficker. Our community will not tolerate perpetrators like this defendant targeting vulnerable victims for their profit.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany  prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:19-CR-00149-FL.

NEW BERN, N.C. – A California man who was on the run for more than twenty months before being apprehended in Fayetteville was sentenced today to 31 months in prison for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.

According to court documents, Stephen Robert Bond, 56, was charged with one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2250.  Bond pled guilty on November 9, 2020. 

In 1993, Bond was convicted of Forcible Rape in California and his sentence included a requirement to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.  Bond failed to comply with his registration requirement at least twice previously, resulting in California felony convictions for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender in 1999 and 2013.  In open court the government explained that Bond was paroled in June 2018 and placed on location monitoring but cut off his location monitoring equipment and went on the run just two months after being paroled.  Bond spent approximately a year in Arizona before arriving in Fayetteville, NC in the Fall of 2019.  Bond did not, as required, register as a sex offender in North Carolina but in January 2020, he applied for and began receiving food stamps.  The U.S. Marshals Service (“USMS”) received the case on May 11, 2020 and a week later, on May 18, 2020, the USMS’ Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force (CRFTF) and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office Sex Offenders Unit apprehended Bond at his residence in Fayetteville.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The U.S. Marshals Service, Eastern District of North Carolina, Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-CR-00360-FL.

NEW BERN, N.C. – A Saint Pauls, North Carolina woman, Stephanie Chavis, was sentenced today to 65 months in prison and three years of supervised release for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.  Chavis was also ordered to pay $760,966 in restitution to the Social Security Administration.  On April 16, 2019, Chavis pled guilty to the charges. 

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Chavis was an Operations Supervisor at the Fayetteville offices of the Social Security Administration (SSA).  SSA administers monetary aid to the public through federally funded programs, including the Supplemental Security Income program (SSI), which authorizes monthly payments to qualifying individuals who are 65 years or older, blind, or disabled, and who meet certain income and resource criteria.

In her capacity as an Operations Supervisor, Chavis had access to SSA beneficiary accounts and associated personal identifying information (PII).  Between approximately August 2010 and April 2018, Chavis caused over $760,000 in SSI benefits to be electronically deposited into nine different bank accounts held in her name, and in the names of various family members, by making false and fraudulent representations to fellow SSA employees, including claims representatives and other supervisors.  The investigation established that Chavis used her government-issued PIN number to query the accounts of approximately 62 program beneficiaries and used their PII to generate the fraudulent payment requests.  The beneficiaries targeted by Chavis included incarcerated individuals who were not entitled to payments, individuals who had been suspended or terminated from the SSI program, and beneficiaries who were legitimately owed SSI funds. 

To circumvent SSA policy requirements, Chavis provided the beneficiary PII and account information for deposit purposes to unsuspecting claims representatives and asked them to create approximately 100 fraudulent payment requests. After the requests were created, Chavis either approved them herself or asked other SSA employees to process the approvals.  Thereafter, the stolen funds were deposited into the bank accounts under Chavis’s control.   

“Ms. Chavis misused her official position and authority in the Social Security Administration to steal over $760,000 in taxpayer funds. I am gratified that a review by the SSA OIG audit office flagged this activity to OIG investigators as potential fraud,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “We will continue to identify and aggressively pursue any instances of employee fraud and hold wrongdoers to account. These efforts are critical to maintaining the public’s trust in Social Security. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its support of our investigation and efforts to bring it to a successful resolution.”

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The case was investigated by Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Atlanta Field Division, under the supervision of Special Agent in Charge Rodregas W. Owens.  Former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamika Moses and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case for 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. 5:18-cr-00407-FL-1.

NEW BERN, N.C. – A Fayetteville man was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for a cocaine distribution conspiracy dating back to 2010. 

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Dominique Hope, 33, was a kilogram level cocaine dealer in the Fayetteville area for almost a decade.  During that time, investigators also received information indicating that Hope was involved in several shootings and robberies of other drug distributors and was not charged in these instances because the victims elected not to cooperate with law enforcement.  On June 28, 2019, investigators seized cocaine, drug packaging material, and four firearms from Hope’s residence. 

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Fayetteville Police Department, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Webb 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-140-FL.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Fayetteville woman pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to charges of wire fraud and money laundering arising out of schemes to defraud the United States Department of Defense (DoD) and businesses in the Eastern District of North Carolina.

According to court documents, from 2011 to 2020,  Stephanie Dianna Elliott, aka “Stephanie Wilson,” aka “Stephanie Moore,” aka “Stephanie Russell,” aka “Stephanie Hanchett,” aka “Vicki Marsh,” aka “Monica Allen,” aka “Melissa Standford,” aka “Jennifer Taylor,” aka “Heidi Litchford,” aka “Sandy Morehead,” aka “Randy Morehead” aka “Katie Jones,” aka “Sharon Mitchell,” aka “Sharon Miller,” aka “Sarah James,”  and aka “Janet Harrington,”  45, used aliases and more than a dozen business entities to obtain more than 1,000 federal defense contracts valued at more than $2.2 million.  According to the allegations in the indictment, Elliott defrauded the Department of Defense by obtaining contract payments after falsely certifying that she had shipped supplies to the U.S. military, when, in fact, the goods were not shipped.  It is alleged that Elliott and/or businesses under her control were debarred from federal contracting on four occasions.  Elliott allegedly circumvented the terms of her debarments by using aliases and various business names to continue bidding on federal contracts. 

Elliott also executed fraud schemes in connection with contracts with the State of North Carolina and other state governments.  Elliott bid on contracts to supply food products and other goods.  After winning the contracts, Elliott defrauded third party vendors by inducing them to deliver the goods to the state in satisfaction of Elliott’s contractual obligations.  In so doing, Elliott obtained payment from state governments for these contracts but failed to pay the victim vendors.

Elliott pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison when sentenced on a date to be determined.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Toby Lathan is prosecuting the case.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Chadbourn man was sentenced today by Judge James C. Dever to a total of 81 months for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.  On June 23, 2021, Lukim Lamont Pittman pled guilty to the charges.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office engaged in a narcotics investigation over three months involving Pittman.  In May and July 2019, officers purchased narcotics from Pittman.  Then in August 2019, the Sheriff’s Office purchased a quantity of cocaine and a Glock, model 17, 9mm firearm from Pittman.  Pittman had previously been convicted of  felony offenses that involved firearms.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Columbus County Sheriff’s office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson  prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-cr-00140-D-1.

RALEIGH – Acting United States Attorney G. Norman Acker, III, announced that United States District Judge James C. Dever III civilly committed Oliver Lee White, 33, to the custody of the Attorney General as a sexually dangerous person under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006.

White was alleged to have sexually molested at least 13 young girls on the Crow Indian Reservation, Montana.  The evidence at trial showed that beginning in 2007, when White was around 20 years old, until 2013, White repeatedly molested young girls, ranging from the ages of 2 to 13, at the home of his adoptive mother, Peggy White (a/k/a Well-Known Buffalo).  Peggy White’s home, which is the location of The Center Pole, a non-profit organization in Garryowen, Montana, always had children around, including children being fostered by Peggy White.  The layout of the facility made it easy for White to avoid supervision and detection of his predatory conduct.  The evidence showed White had a persistent and common pattern of sexually offending the young girls by isolating them and then molesting them for his own sexual gratification.

As a result of his serious criminal offenses, White was criminally charged in United States District Court for the District of Montana with numerous sex crimes.  Peggy White and her partner, Susan Kelly, were also criminally charged with misprision of felony for their part in enabling him and covering up White’s molestations.  However, due to his mental illnesses, White was deemed incompetent to stand trial, and as a result, Peggy White and Susan Kelly were unable to be prosecuted for their alleged crimes.  Ultimately though, the United States certified White as a sexually dangerous person under the Adam Walsh Act.  Congress passed this Act to provide another powerful legal mechanism for protecting the public from some of the nation’s most dangerous sexual offenders.  The Act allows the United States to seek civil commitment of sexually dangerous persons who, because of a serious mental illness, abnormality, or disorder, would have serious difficulty refraining from sexually violent conduct or child molestation. 

The United States believed that White met every element of that definition and the Court agreed.  On September 30, 2021, Judge Dever announced his ruling and civilly committed White to the custody of the Attorney General as a sexually dangerous person.  In doing so, Judge Dever credited the “credible, consistent, and extremely persuasive” testimony of five of White’s victims, finding that White molested them.  Judge Dever also found that White suffers from Pedophilic Disorder and Intellectual Disability, and as a result of these serious mental illnesses, abnormalities, or disorders White would have serious difficulty refraining from child molestation if released.  In particular, Judge Dever observed that members of White’s family, including his mother, “concealed the allegations and degraded the victims.”  The Court concluded that if White returned to an environment like The Center Pole with young girls around, he would molest again.           

“This was a tragic and unique case,” said Acting United States Attorney G. Norman Acker, III.  “Because Mr. White could not be criminally prosecuted due to his incompetency, the Government was required to prove in this civil proceeding he had committed acts of child molestation.  The Government did so through the courageous, gut-wrenching testimony of his victims, who traveled across the country to face their abuser and his family members who concealed his conduct.  Presenting such fragile testimony is no easy feat, and as such, I express my deep appreciation to the FBI agents, victim specialists, and forensic interview specialists in Montana for their tireless efforts in working with the victims.  In particular, FBI Victim Specialist Michele Stewart was invaluable.  Without her exceptional rapport with the victims and personal involvement, including traveling with the victims to North Carolina to testify, they may not have found the courage to testify.  The victims’ courageous testimony will help keep others safe from Mr. White.”  Mr. Acker continued, “This case is a great example of how a true team effort can help make the communities within this District and across the country safer.”

“The Judge’s decision provides some measure of justice as Oliver White will never have the opportunity to hurt another child,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennis Rice of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office.  “We commend the survivors of White’s abuse who demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity and acted to protect other children in a selfless display of their courage.  The FBI wishes to thank the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services for their invaluable partnership investigating this years-long case."

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina litigates all Adam Walsh Act cases for the entire country.  All sexually dangerous persons who are committed to federal custody are housed in a federal facility in that district, where intensive, residential treatment is offered to them.  White is the eighty-sixth sexually dangerous person committed under the Adam Walsh Act.    

Assistant United States Attorney Michael Bredenberg and Special Assistant United States Attorney Genna Petre represented the government in this case with assistance from Paralegal Amy Dale and Victim Specialists Michelle Scott, Kory Williford, and Michele Stewart.

Related court documents and information from the civil lawsuit are on PACER by searching for Case No.5:17-hc-02162-D.

###

RALEIGH, N.C. – Shawn Franklin, Anthony Maryland, and Sabrina Wiggins Branch pleaded guilty today to defrauding financial institutions and other lenders by using synthetic identities to obtain credit cards and consumer loans with no intention of payment.  All three individuals were living in the Eastern District during the multi-year conspiracy. 

According to court documents and the government’s factual representations in open court, Franklin, age 48, began using synthetic identities in 2012.  By coupling his own name and date of birth with a nine-digit number that looked like a social security number, Franklin created a new credit profile, otherwise known as a Credit Privacy Number (CPN).  Individuals, like Franklin, with poor credit scores built fresh credit histories by adding a CPN as an authorized user to credit accounts belonging to other individuals with good credit scores.  These “trade lines” enhanced the CPN’s creditworthiness, scamming lenders and credit card issuers into believing the CPN applicants have the ability and intent to pay-off indebtedness.  Individuals using CPNs, however, lack the ability or intent to pay-off the loans and credit card balances. 

Franklin had been a NC Medicaid provider.  Ten of the names and SSNs he used to obtain credit belonged to actual NC Medicaid recipients.  Franklin obtained fictitious NC driver’s licenses in these individuals’ names, bearing images of himself.  With respect to credit cards, Franklin maximized the fraud proceeds by making bogus payments to the issuers.  Such payments were immediately credited, restoring the credit limit.  Before the credit issuer received notification that the payments were bogus, Franklin and others quickly made additional charges, resulting in significant losses. 

Maryland, age 48, and Branch, age 39, used synthetic identities created in their own names by Franklin.  Maryland obtained credit cards and consumer goods.  Wiggins obtained credit cards and financed the purchase of two vehicles with CPNs. 

Branch also conspired with Franklin to generate cash with the fraudulently obtained credit cards.  They ran approximately $650,000 in fictitious charges through merchant accounts associated with her retail store in Wilmington’s Independence Mall.  Branch paid Franklin his share of the proceeds in cash.  Records showed she withdrew cash in amounts less than $10,000 to avoid the filing of currency transaction reports. 

All three individuals pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank and Wire Fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison when sentenced.  Franklin also pleaded guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft for his use of the names and personal identifiers of ten NC Medicaid recipients.  He faces an additional mandatory two years in prison, consecutive to any other term imposed.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Magistrate Judge James E. Gates accepted the plea. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service, United States Social Security Administration, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation  are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan B. Menzer  is prosecuting the case.

NEW BERN, N.C. – A Rocky Mount, NC woman was sentenced today to 16 months imprisonment and ordered to pay $59,268.00 in restitution for committing conspiracy to prepare and file false tax returns.

According to court documents, Bertha Battle, 40 years old, conspired with others to file false tax returns for the 2011 through 2016 tax years for clients of Community Tax Services LLC located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Battle and her co-conspirators filed tax returns that claimed false education credits, among other illegitimate items, in order to fraudulently generate clients’ tax refunds.  According to the IRS, the three-year scam resulted in a loss of more than $2 million in tax dollars.  On June 18, 2020, Battle pled guilty to the charge.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) assisted in this investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes is prosecuting the case.

Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:19-cr-00077-FL-1.

NEW BERN, N.C. – Kellie Michelle Smith, 43, of Raleigh, was sentenced today to 68 months in prison for possession of child pornography.  Smith pled guilty to a single-count Criminal Information on June 22, 2020.    

According to court records and statements made during hearings, in October 2018, the Cary Police Department was conducting an investigation of online peer-to-peer child pornography distribution.  They identified an IP address from which they were able to download a large amount of child pornography and tracked that IP address to the Raleigh residence of Stephan Grimes. 

Homeland Security, Wake County Sheriff’s Office, and US Marshals executed a search warrant on February 20, 2019.  Grimes was interviewed and admitted to downloading child pornography.  An on-site forensic preview of a computer also revealed multiple explicit images of a young girl.  Grimes identified the girl and initially claimed that she was 18 years old.  He stated that the co-defendant Kellie Smith, his girlfriend to whom he had previously been married, was also present when the photos images were produced.  Agents noted wall mounted surveillance cameras in the living room and bedroom that appeared to have been used to produce the images.  Agents seized a computer, hard drives, and a USB drive. 

Law enforcement identified and interviewed the young girl from the images.  She stated that she had met Grimes when she was 16.  Grimes later made sexual advances, which eventually resulted in the illegal activity. 

A full forensic examination recovered 5 videos and over 400 images of child sexual abuse material, the great majority depicting the victim when she was 17 years old.  Two long videos were taken in Grimes’ and Smith’s home using the dual wall-mounted cameras, with a simultaneous view in split screen. 

Evidence demonstrated that Smith was involved in some sexual encounters including the minor victim, of which photos were taken.

Co-defendant Stephan Grimes pled guilty on September 14, 2021, to one count of manufacture of child pornography.  He is scheduled to be sentenced during the court’s January 11, 2022, term of court. 

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Wake County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh 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-0019-FL.

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Rich Square man was sentenced on August 5, 2021 to 63 months in prison for felon in possession of ammunition.  On April 2, 2021, Rasean Bolden pled guilty to the charge.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Rasean Bolden, 39, got into a verbal altercation with two men in the area of Highway 308 and Highway 258 in Rich Square.  Deputies from the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the area following a report that one of the men had been shot and beaten.  Deputies located the victim who had injuries to his head and jaw and was transported by emergency services to a local hospital where he survived.  Deputies also recovered spent shell casings in the area where the shooting occurred.  Bolden has several felony drug convictions and was a prior target of the Down East Drug Task Force for drug distribution in Northampton County.  Bolden also has a prior conviction for conspiracy to commit robbery and many misdemeanor convictions. 

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II.  The Northampton County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-CR-25-M.

NEW BERN, N.C. – A Wilson man was sentenced today to 151 months in prison for two counts of Distribution of Cocaine Base (Crack); one count of Distribution of Cocaine Base (Crack) and Marijuana; and two counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base (Crack).

According to court documents, Frank Roosevelt Giggetts, Jr., pled guilty to the charges on February 5, 2020. 

In March 2018, officers with the Wilson Police Department learned that Giggetts was selling cocaine base (crack) from his residence in Wilson. Officers then conducted three controlled purchases of controlled substances from Giggetts, including cocaine base (crack) and marijuana.

On August 2, 2018, officers executed a search warrant at Giggetts’s residence and seized additional cocaine base (crack).

On November 9, 2018, Giggetts was arrested on outstanding warrants and was found in possession of additional cocaine base (crack).

Giggetts has 22 prior convictions, including convictions for assault, burglary and drug trafficking. Based on his criminal history, Giggetts was determined to be a Career Offender, resulting in an enhanced recommended sentence.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Wilson Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott A. Lemmon prosecuted the case.

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.

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-00241-FL-1.

NEW BERN, N.C. – A Magnolia man was sentenced today to 116 months in prison for his role in a Wilmington convenience store robbery and car-jacking that resulted in a car crash at an elementary school.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Cory Montan Dixon, 40, and a co-defendant donned masks in the early morning hours of August 18, 2019 and robbed the Circle K gas station on Gordon Road in Wilmington. Dixon’s co-defendant, Ronald Lee Croll (sentenced earlier this year), brandished a handgun, later determined to be a BB gun, pointed it at the head of the store clerk and demanded money. After the clerk handed over the cash drawer, the clerk was taken to a back room to retrieve the keys to the clerk’s car. The clerk was then ordered to lay on the floor and an attempt was made to zip tie the clerk’s wrists were together. The two men then took the clerk’s car and fled with the cash drawer and a number of cigarette packs. New Hanover County Sheriff’s Deputies spotted the vehicle on Market Street and gave pursuit. The car tried to elude officers by driving at a high rate of speed through a residential neighborhood, eventually going off the road before crashing into a basketball hoop at Blair Elementary School. Dixon and Croll then fled on foot before being apprehended. Officers recovered zip ties, cash, the BB gun, cigarettes, the cash drawer, and clothing worn during the robbery from the vehicle and along the flight path of the defendants.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, the Wilmington Police Department assisted in the response,  and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina implements the PSN Program through its Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:19-CR-00092-FL.

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Rocky Mount man was sentenced yesterday to 168 months in prison for armed robbery and brandishing a firearm in connection to a crime of violence.  On June 16, 2021, Dexter Jamal Williams pled guilty to the charges.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Williams, 23, and his co-defendants, Arafat Alzer and Bashar Hroub, committed an armed robbery at the Royal Eco Marketing Company in Raleigh, North Carolina, on December 4, 2019. During the robbery, the defendants duct-taped the store manager to a chair, and repeatedly pistol-whipped and assaulted him before stealing over $20,000 worth of merchandise from the business. Video surveillance from the parking lot of the business shows Williams and Alzer leaving the scene in Alzer’s Toyota Camry, and Hroub leaving in his Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. As the defendants were leaving the scene, an employee of the business is observed firing multiple rounds from a gun at the two vehicles, striking both the Camry and the Silverado. Following the robbery, Alzer and Williams discarded Alzer’s vehicle in a parking lot in Raleigh and returned to Rocky Mount. When Raleigh Police responded to the vehicle, they recovered Alzer’s identification card and vehicle registration. Later that day, Williams checked into Nash General Hospital to receive treatment for his gunshot wound, and Alzer and Hroub traveled back to Raleigh to hide Williams’ firearm at Hroub’s girlfriend’s residence. On December 11, 2019, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at this residence and recovered the firearm.

Arafat Alzer pled guilty to Interference With Commerce by Robbery and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime or a Crime of Violence; and Aiding and Abetting on July 28, 2020 and was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment on September 3, 2021.  Bashar Hroub pled guilty to Interference With Commerce by Robbery and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon on July 23, 2021 and is awaiting sentencing.

On February 11, 2020, officers with the Rocky Mount Police Department executed a search warrant at Williams’ residence, and recovered 688 grams of marijuana and a .40 caliber handgun. On May 12, 2020, Rocky Mount Police responded to a shooting at a residential location. There, they encountered Williams, who was in possession of a stolen .9mm handgun.

Acting U.S. Attorney Acker commented: “The United States Justice Department and the United States Attorney’s Office are aggressively pursuing violent offenders and gang members.  This sentence is part of our efforts to “Take Back North Carolina” from those who wish to bring harm to the citizens of the Eastern District of North Carolina.”

“ATF remains committed to protecting lives and property against violent gun crime,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Vince Pallozzi. “Our federal and local law enforcement agencies put together a very comprehensive investigation and stopped a serious threat to our communities. This arrest and conviction absolutely makes our community safer.”

“Our mission here at the Rocky Mount Police Department is to improve the quality of life in the city of Rocky Mount by building partnerships to reduce crime,” commented Rocky Mount Police Chief Robert Hassell. “We value our partnership with our Federal Law Enforcement agencies, who assist us in creating a safe environment for all citizens who reside and visit Rocky Mount, NC. The Rocky Mount Police Department will continue to work with Federal, State, and Local law enforcement agencies while providing the highest level of police services.”

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II.  The Raleigh Police Department, the Rocky Mount Police Department, and the Wake County Sheriff’s Office 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. 5:20-cr-00250-M.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced today to 56 months in prison for bank robbery.  On June 9, 2021, Glenn Alin Martinoff pled guilty to the charge.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Martinoff, 68, entered the Dogwood State Bank in Wilmington on January 10, 2021 while brandishing a large screwdriver and wearing a surgical mask, gloves, sunglasses, and baseball cap. Martinoff went behind the teller counter, stated that it was a robbery and took $6,460 before fleeing. Investigators responded and obtained surveillance video, including that of Martinoff’s getaway vehicle, and were able to determine that the car was for sale at a nearby dealership. At the dealership, investigators found the getaway vehicle and a copy of Martinoff’s license, which he had provided when he took the vehicle for a test drive earlier that day. Investigators then obtained a search warrant for Martinoff’s apartment and upon executing the same, recovered the stolen cash, along with clothing items worn by Martinoff during the robbery, and the screwdriver. Martinoff has two prior federal bank robbery convictions from 1991 and 1996.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Wilmington Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina implements the PSN Program through its Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-CR-00186-BO.

RALEIGH, N.C. – An Oxford man was sentenced to 84  months in prison for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon.  On June 8, 2021, S Daques Shorter pled guilty to the charges.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, on April 6, 2020, the Oxford Police Department responded to a report of gunshots at the Oxford Food Mart.  Upon arrival, witnesses stated that several men, including Shorter, were engaged in an argument, and that Shorter later retrieved a firearm and shot at two men.  Video surveillance captured the incident confirming the witnesses’ account.  Spent shell casings were recovered on the scene and the firearm used by Shorter was recovered nearby.  Shorter is a convicted felon, having prior convictions for Breaking and Entering, and Attempted Robbery With a Dangerous Weapon.  He is also a validated member of the United Blood Nation street gang. 

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle.  The Oxford Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-CR-224-BO.