FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

TUESDAY - January 27, 2009

FELON SENTENCED FOR POSSESSING FIREARM

RALEIGH - United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court here today United States District Judge James C. Dever, III, sentenced THOMAS DARRELL WEBSTER, 26, of Raleigh, North Carolina, to 84 months’ imprisonment followed by three years supervised release.

A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on July 23, 2008, charging possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. At his arraignment on October 6, 2008, WEBSTER pled guilty to the charge. On March 17, 2008, officers with the Raleigh Police Department went to a residence in an effort to locate WEBSTER to serve an arrest warrant. WEBSTER was located in an upstairs bedroom in his underwear. In allowing WEBSTER to dress, officers grabbed a pair of jeans next to where WEBSTER had been sleeping to hand to him. Under the jeans officers found a Hi-Point 9mm semi-automatic pistol.

Mr. Holding stated, “Here, again, is another case of a felon having been found in possession of a firearm. The Court’s sentence today helps us send a clear message to others. . .this offense will not be tolerated.”

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 the Raleigh Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jane Jackson 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.