FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MONDAY - April 6, 2009

RALEIGH FELON FOUND WITH FIREARM; PLEADS GUILTY TO POSSESSION

RALEIGH - United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court here today BRIAN TERRELL HINTON, 20, of Raleigh, North Carolina, pled guilty before Senior United States District Judge W. Earl Britt to unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).

A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on January 8, 2009. On October 10, 2008, Raleigh Police officers stopped a car in which HINTON was a passenger. Upon checking the license of the driver, it was determined to be suspended and he was placed under arrest. While speaking to the driver, officers observed the butt of a handgun beneath HINTON’s seat. HINTON, who is a convicted felon, was removed from the car and the firearm, a Taurus, model PT-145, .45 caliber handgun was seized.

HINTON faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment followed by up to three years of supervised release and a penalty of up to $250,000.

Mr. Holding commented: “Our Project Safe Neighborhoods program continues to find armed felons through the daily work of law enforcement throughout or district. This single traffic stop removed another armed felon from our community.”

Sentencing has been scheduled for the July 7, 2009, term of court.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods which encourages federal, state, and local agencies to cooperate in a unified “team effort” against gun crime, targeting repeat offenders who continually plague their communities.

Investigation of the case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Raleigh Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Ethan Ontjes served as prosecutor 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.