United States Attorney James R. Dedrick
Eastern District of Tennessee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
TWO JOHNSON CITY MEN SENTENCED AND ONE ENTERS GUILTY PLEA
[Greeneville, TN] - The Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee, sentenced Chris Bufford, 41, of Johnson City, Tennessee, to seven (7) years imprisonment and Curtis Wise, 45, also of Johnson City to 30 months imprisonment on Tuesday, April 1, 2008, in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. On that same day, Darius Deshawn Little, 32, of Johnson City, entered a plea to being a convicted felon with a firearm.
The facts and circumstances leading to the arrest, conviction and today’s sentencing of Chris Bufford are as follows: On May 26, 2006, a confidential informant, wired with a transmitting and recording device and monitored by Investigator Bill Mitchell and Investigator Norris with the Johnson CityPolice Department (JCPD) Vice Unit, purchased cocaine base (crack) from Bufford at a crack house located in Johnson City, Tennessee. The crack house was operated by Marichal Hairston, a/k/a Brother Hairston, who is also scheduled for sentencing on April 21, 2008, in United States District Court at Greeneville. Bufford has a previous conviction of aggravated trafficking of cocaine in Trumbell County, Ohio.
The facts and circumstances leading to the arrest, conviction, and today’s sentencing of Curtis Wise are as follows: On February 22, 2006, Wise attempted to purchase a Charter Arms, .38 caliber revolver from Point Blank Range in Johnson City, Tennessee. The purchase was never completed because a criminal history check by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) determined that Wise was a convicted felon; therefore, he was not allowed to leave the store with the gun on that date. Wise had a previous conviction of aggravated assault in the Criminal Court of Washington County and was sentenced to six (6) years in the Tennessee Department of Corrections.
The facts and circumstances leading to today’s guilty plea by Darius Deshawn Little are as follows: On October 28, 2006, officers of the JCPD responded to Little’s residence in Johnson City, Tennessee, in response to a shots fired call. Later that day, officers of the JCPD responded to a call of a burglary at the same residence, where Little told the officers that he had a Radon semiautomatic handgun hidden under a stack of blankets in a bedroom that was missing. Little told the officers that he had borrowed the handgun several months before. Subsequently, Little told Captain Howell and Lieutenant Sherfey that the Radom, semi-automatic pistol belonged to him. The firearm was later recovered by JCPD. Little was previously convicted of aggravated robbery and theft of property over $500.00.
Law enforcement agencies involved in these investigations and prosecutions were the Johnson City Tennessee Police Department (JCPD) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
For additional information, please contact United States Attorney Russ Dedrick, 865-545-4167, Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Reeves or Special Assistant US Attorney Brian Johnson, 423-639-6759, or Public Information Officer Sharry Dedman-Beard, 865-545-4167.