Tag Archive for: #usdeptofjustice

U.S. Department of Justice

Oxford Man Sentenced on Firearm Charge After Attempting to Flee From Police

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

Xavier Santonio Bobbitt of Oxford was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for possessing firearms as a convicted felon. No stranger to federal courts, this was Bobbitt’s third conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 21, 2020, an officer of the Oxford Police Department was traveling along College Street in Oxford, North Carolina, when he observed a silver 2005 Buick LeSabre improperly pass another vehicle at high speed. The LaSabre continued at a high speed as the officer pursued. The vehicle eventually came to an abrupt stop. The driver, later identified as Xavier Bobbitt, jumped from the vehicle and ran.  Officers apprehended Bobbitt on foot shortly thereafter.

A nearby witness advised law enforcement that someone threw two firearms from the passenger side window of the vehicle as it stopped. Officers recovered the firearms, a Springfield .45 caliber pistol loaded with 29 rounds in an extended magazine and a Stag Arms 5.56 caliber rifle loaded with 28 rounds of ammunition. Both had been reported stolen. In the car’s trunk, officers found a black mesh bag that contained various caliber ammunition, two loaded pistol magazines, and a loaded drum magazine.

Bobbitt was transported to Oxford PD, where he waived his Miranda Rights and was interviewed. He said he bought the firearms off the street and had instructed his passenger to throw them out the window when he realized they were going to be stopped by the police.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Since 2017, the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

That effort has been implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices in those communities on a sustained basis to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Oxford Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.

Jasmele Robinson

Henderson Man Who Injured Deputies Sentenced to 15+ Years in Federal Prison

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

A Henderson man was sentenced today to 189 months in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  Included in this sentence is 24 months in prison for violating the terms of his federal supervised release.

Jasmele Robinson (Photo courtesy Vance Co. Sheriff’s Office)

According to court documents, on September 13, 2019, Jasmele Robinson, 37, fled from deputies of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office when they attempted to serve a search warrant at his residence.  Deputies obtained a search warrant after they utilized a confidential informant to purchase heroin from Robinson at his Henderson residence.

When deputies arrived to serve the warrant, Robinson fled the residence in a car. Deputies attempted to block his car with their patrol vehicles and Robinson rammed their cars and drove away before striking a tree. Robinson continued to struggle with deputies after he wrecked his vehicle and threw a bag underneath the wrecked car. When deputies recovered the bag, they found a quantity of heroin.

Upon Robinson’s arrest, he was found with a loaded firearm, which had been stolen from Granville County. Four deputies sustained injuries in the incident, two of them suffering serious injuries, which required hospitalization and surgery. At the time of the incident, Robinson was on federal supervised release following a prior conviction in federal court for felon in possession of a firearm.

Jasmele Robinson (Photo courtesy Vance Co. Sheriff’s Office)

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Henderson Police Department, and the Vance County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the U.S. Department of Justice’s website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-CR-500-BO.

U.S. Department of Justice

Convicted Drug Trafficker Sentenced for Escaping Butner Federal Prison

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announces that today, Richard R. Cephas, of Wilmington, Delaware, was sentenced to 18 months consecutive to the sentence he is currently serving for escaping from the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) in Butner, North Carolina on or about April 1, 2020.

In June 2017, Cephas was sentenced by the United States District Court for the District of Delaware to a term of 66 months in federal prison – for his violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841 (a)(l) and (b)(l)(A) and 846, Conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine.

The conviction and sentence resulted from a long-term High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) federal wiretap investigation spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Drug Trafficking Task Force in Delaware. More about that investigation here.

As alleged in the publicly filed affidavit attached to the Criminal Complaint, Cephas had been serving the remainder of his prison sentence at the Federal Prison Camp in Butner, NC. On April 2, 2020, Cephas was placed in an escape status by the BOP following his absence from a bed count conducted by staff at the Butner facility. At the time of his absence, Cephas was not authorized to be away from the Federal Prison Camp. On April 20, 2020, Cephas was returned to custody.

“Several months ago, as the Coronavirus pandemic began, Richard Cephas, a convicted drug trafficker serving a federal prison sentence, tried to take advantage of the situation by using the threat of the pandemic as a way to avoid paying the price of his criminal activity,” said United States Attorney Higdon. “No one was fooled. Today, the U. S. District Court sent that message loud and clear by adding 18 more months – the maximum allowed under the Federal Sentencing rules – to his drug sentence. This sends a powerful message to Mr. Cephas and to anyone else who would try to use the virus or any other similar situation as an opportunity to escape justice.”

The United States Marshals Service investigated this case and Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. Dodson is prosecuting the case.

U.S. Department of Justice

Former NFL & Warren Co. Player Sentenced on Drug, Money Laundering Charges

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

A Raleigh man was sentenced today to 168 months in prison for conspiring with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and engaging in a money-laundering conspiracy. He was also ordered by the court to forfeit $2,708,000 in laundered drug proceeds.

According to court documents, Richard Dwight Alston, 39, engaged in a multi-year and cross-country conspiracy to traffic in large amounts of marijuana and to distribute that high-grade marijuana to associates in Raleigh.

After several years of investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service, on November 2, 2017, federal agents executed a search warrant for apartments that were suspected to be stash locations for Alston’s large-scale marijuana organization. During the search, agents located over 40 pounds of marijuana and $371,670.00 in United States currency.

Agents were then able to arrange for the delivery of Alston’s next drug shipment on November 6, 2017. On that date, agents arrested two individuals who were responsible for transporting the marijuana intended for Alston and others. A search of their vehicle revealed seven large duffel bags containing almost 200 kilograms of marijuana, along with $67,814 in United States currency. A financial investigation conducted by the IRS revealed that Alston had laundered drug proceeds of over $2.7 million through a business bank account over a period of several years.

The investigation was part of OCDETF Operation Pick Six. An Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II.  The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) led the investigation, with assistance from the Raleigh Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura S. Howard prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the U.S. Department of Justice’s website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-CR-00005-M.

U.S. Department of Justice

Guns & Drug Conviction Gets Oxford Man 15 Years in Federal Prison

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

An Oxford man was sentenced on Friday to 180 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (crack) and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, the Oxford Police Department (OPD) received complaints of drug distribution activity at the residence of Thurston Darius Bobbitt, 37, in Oxford. As a result, OPD utilized a confidential informant to purchase crack cocaine from Bobbitt at the residence. A search warrant executed at Bobbitt’s residence and vehicle yielded a quantity of crack cocaine, digital scales, two firearms, ammunition, cell phones, and U.S. currency.

In total, Bobbitt was held accountable for possession and/or distribution of over a kilogram of crack cocaine. Bobbitt had previously been convicted of a felony for which he received a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Oxford Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case.

U.S. Department of Justice

Oxford Man Indicted by Federal Grand Jury on Gun and Drug Charges

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging an Oxford man with illegally possessing a firearm and crack distribution.

According to the indictment, Connell Clayton Lester, 55, is charged with possessing a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order, possessing a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base (crack).

According to the indictment, on March 5, 2020, Lester, a convicted felon, possessed a Hi-Point 9mm handgun while subject to a domestic violence protective order from New York. It is alleged that the order restrained Lester from harassing, stalking, assaulting, or threatening an intimate partner and prohibited him from possessing a firearm.

Additionally, the indictment alleges that Lester possessed with the intent to distribute crack cocaine and distributed crack cocaine. If convicted, he faces up to twenty years imprisonment for the drug charge and ten years for the firearm count.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.

For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

U.S. Department of Justice

Dept. of Justice Issues Warning on Fraudulent Mask Exemption Documents

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. advised the public today that cards and other documents bearing the U.S. Department of Justice seal and claiming that individuals are exempt from mask requirements are fraudulent.

There have been reports of individuals in North Carolina and other parts of the country creating cards or other documents claiming that the bearer of the card is exempt from mask requirements. Some versions of these cards threaten businesses or organizations with fines if they take steps to require patrons to wear masks.

In an effort to make the cards or documents appear legitimate, fraudsters may include the U.S. Department of Justice’s seal or include other threatening language. The Department of Justice is also aware of efforts by some to sell these fake cards to members of the public.

The public should take note that the Department did not issue these documents, and the Department does not endorse them. Furthermore, the Department has not granted permission for the use of its seal for this purpose, and misusing the Department seal is a federal crime.

“During this pandemic, false information—and fake cards like these—do a grave disservice to us all as we try to understand and follow the public-health measures our governments have ordered,” said U.S. Attorney Higdon. “The public should be aware that these cards are fake and rest assured that we will investigate those who are knowingly creating or peddling these fraudulent cards to the unsuspecting public.”

U.S. Department of Justice

Butner Federal Inmate Sentenced to 30 Months for Weapons Possession

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

An inmate housed at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, North Carolina (“FCC Butner”) was sentenced yesterday to 30 months of incarceration for possessing weapons inside the federal prison.

According to court documents, Gerald Wayne Timms, 59, was found by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) staff to be in possession of multiple homemade sharpened objects on two separate occasions in May 2019 and again in September 2019.

BOP staff found the weapons inside Timms’ assigned cell during routine searches. Timms was charged by way of a two-count indictment for violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1791, possession of contraband in prison. On February 19, 2020, a jury found Timms guilty of both counts. Timms received 30 months on each count to be served concurrently.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. BOP Special Investigative Services investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mallory Brooks Storus, Genna D. Petre, and Michael Bredenberg prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the U.S. Department of Justice’s website. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00428-FL.

U.S. Department of Justice

Henderson Heroin Trafficker Sentenced

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

A Henderson man was sentenced to 78 months in prison for trafficking heroin in Vance County.

According to court documents, Reginald Lamont Lewis, 31, was involved in the distribution of heroin from February 2017 until December 2018. During that time, law enforcement investigated the drug trafficking activities of Lewis by conducting undercover purchases of narcotics; over 300 individual doses of heroin were purchased in total.

The execution of a search warrant led to the seizure of approximately $25,600 in U.S. currency.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Henderson Police Department; the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation; the Vance County Sheriff’s Office; and the Virginia State Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the U.S. Department of Justice website. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:18-cr-00518-D-1.

U.S. Department of Justice

Butner Inmate Sentenced for Possession of Narcotics at Federal Prison

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

A federal inmate incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner was sentenced to 12 months in prison and an additional two-year term of supervised release for possession of the opiate buprenorphine, a Schedule III narcotic commonly referred to by the brand name Suboxone.

The 12-month term of imprisonment is in addition to, and consecutive to, his current term of imprisonment, and the two-year term of supervised release is in addition to and consecutive to his 3-year term of supervised release on his current sentence.

According to court documents, while Aaron Trujillo, 57, was serving a federal sentence for multiple bank robbery convictions, he was found in possession of multiple sublingual film strips containing buprenorphine. The Bureau of Prisons’ investigation also revealed a large cache of stamps and a debt ledger suggesting that he was involved in the sale and distribution of buprenorphine for several months.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Agents investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Bredenberg prosecuted the case.