FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MONDAY - March 28, 2011

SPRING HOPE SHOOTER RECEIVES FEDERAL PRISON TIME

NEW BERN - United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court on March 25, 2011, Chief United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced DANIEL HOPKINS, 31, of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, to 120 months’ imprisonment followed by three years supervised release. The Court also imposed a fine of $3,000.

A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on August 4, 2010. On December 14, 2010, HOPKINS pled guilty to unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon.

According to the investigation, on November 19, 2009, officers responded to a shooting on South Ash Street in Spring Hope, North Carolina. The victim had been shot several times. The investigation revealed that HOPKINS shot the victim behind a building. Although the firearm was not recovered, officers found three shell casings which were determined to be .25 caliber.

This case was part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods(PSN) initiative 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 this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Spring Hope Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jane J. Jackson represented 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.