FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

WEDNESDAY - December 5, 2007

FAYETTEVILLE MAN SENTENCED AS A CAREER CRIMINAL TO 262 MONTHS

RALEIGH - United States Attorney George E. B. Holding announced that in federal court yesterday United States District Judge James C. Dever, III, sentenced IRAN DEVON COOK, 35, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, to 262 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

On August 28, 2007, COOK pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine and use or carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. COOK was charged in an indictment filed on June 15, 2006. On November 20, 2005, COOK and a co-defendant were found by Fayetteville police officers in possession of crack cocaine and firearms on Maloney Avenue, which is just outside the Grove View Terrace public housing project in Fayetteville. In the early to mid-1990's this area was the scene of a large drug trafficking organization. Because COOK had a prior felony conviction for drug trafficking and a prior felony conviction for assault with a deadly weapon, he was sentenced as a career offender under federal sentencing guidelines.

Investigation of the case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fayetteville Police Department as a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Justice Department’s national initiative to reduce gun crime. Assistant United States Attorney John H. Bennett of the Greenville branch office is handling the case for the Government.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.