FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

TUESDAY - June 15, 2010

FORMER MARINES SENTENCED

NEW BERN - United States Attorney George E. B. Holding announced that in federal court yesterday Chief United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced KODY RAY BRITTINGHAM, 22, of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to 100 months’ imprisonment for his involvement in threatening the life of President Obama and Hobbs Act robbery.

On February 25, 2009, a Federal Grand Jury returned a single-count indictment charging BRITTINGHAM with threatening the President-Elect of the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 871.

According to the Indictment, in November, 2008, BRITTINGHAM threatened the life of then-President-Elect Barrack Obama. He stated, among other things, that he intended to shoot the President-Elect. Naval Criminal Investigative Service located several documents related to the upcoming Presidential Inauguration inside his barracks wall locker, including maps of the surrounding area of the Capitol building, Wikipedia results for “Inauguration Day” queries, and photographs.

In a Criminal Information filed on June 26, 2009, BRITTINGHAM was charged with aiding and abetting the attempt to take property by use of a dangerous weapon (Hobbs Act Robbery) and the use and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime. He pled guilty to all three charges on August 3, 2009.

On December 13, 2008, BRITTINGHAM and fellow Marine CHARLES LEE ANDERSON, 21, of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, attempted to commit armed robbery of the My Motel in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Both were armed with firearms. Before fleeing the hotel, Anderson and the hotel security guard exchanged gunfire. No one was injured.

ANDERSON was also involved in the armed robbery of the Liberty Inn Hotel in Jacksonville, which occurred on November 30, 2008. For his role in both robberies, ANDERSON sentenced to a term of 152 months imprisonment. NATALIE DENISE BYRDSONG, 22, also a marine, of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina was sentenced to a term of 17 months imprisonment for driving the get-away car for the My Motel robbery.

Investigation of the cases was conducted by the United States Secret Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; and the Jacksonville Police Department.

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