Convicted Felon From Mount Olive Sentenced To 46 Months In Prison For Possessing A Firearm

NEW BERN - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court today United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced ANTHONY EARL RIVERS, 25, of Mount Olive, to 46 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release upon conviction for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g) and 924.

On May 4, 2012, the Mt. Olive Police Department received a tip from a confidential informant that RIVERS, operating under the alias of “Worm”, had just been seen driving another individual who had been involved in an assault with a firearm on Claytor Street in Mt. Olive.  The Mt. Olive Police Department immediately began to look for RIVERS and the individual who was reported to have committed the assault using a firearm.  Officers located RIVERS and the other individual a few blocks away on Slocum Street and attempted a traffic stop.  As soon as RIVERS pulled into a driveway the passenger jumped out of the vehicle and ran on foot.  Mt. Olive police immediately gave foot chase, leaving RIVERS momentarily alone in the driver’s seat of his car.

RIVERS’ actions when he was alone in the car were captured on the exterior video camera of a Mt. Olive police cruiser.  The video showed RIVERS quickly exiting his vehicle and leaning down into a bush located within a few feet of the car.  By the time other officers arrived on the scene RIVERS was already attempting to drive away.  RIVERS was stopped by other officers before he could leave.

Officers canvassed the area of the chase but were not able to locate a firearm.  After searching the vehicle and discovering no firearm, RIVERS was allowed to leave the scene.  Within minutes, however, officers discovered the firearm, an Armscor; model Citadel, .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, located in the bush adjacent to the car.  Officers immediately left the scene, found RIVERS, and took him into custody.  While RIVERS initially denied knowledge of the firearm, he later made statements admitting that he had “stashed” the firearm.  

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) with the assistance of the Mt. Olive Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney William M. Gilmore represented the Government.