FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
THURSDAY - December 4, 2008
WINTERVILLE MAN SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON
RALEIGH - United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court here on December 2, 2008, United States District Judge James C. Dever, III, sentenced DORMEL DEVONE PHILLIPS, 32, of Winterville, North Carolina, to 60 months’ imprisonment followed by three years supervised release.
A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on August 8, 2007. On September 2, 2008, PHILLIPS pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. On August 5, 2005, the Greenville Police Department received an anonymous tip that cocaine and marijuana were being sold from a motel in Greenville and that one of the individuals was in possession of a firearm. Going to the motel, officers located the appropriate room and consent to search the room was given. The bathroom door was shut and locked. When officers instructed the occupant of the bathroom to come out, PHILLIPS exited. A search of the bathroom revealed a loaded .380 caliber handgun.
PHILLIPS’ previous convictions include assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of drug paraphernalia, three charges of possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine, and three charges of possession of cocaine.
Mr. Holding commented, “I want to applaud the work of the Greenville Police Department. Through their work another armed drug dealer is off the street.”
Investigation of the case was conducted by the Greenville Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Glenn Perry was the assigned Prosecutor.Mr. Perry is a prosecutor with the Pitt County District Attorney’s Office.District Attorney Clark Everett has assigned him to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force criminal matters.This has been made possible by a grant funded by the Governor’s Crime Commission.
News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.
