FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

TUESDAY - February 7, 2012

ROCKY MOUNT MAN RECEIVES FEDERAL PRISON TERM FOR SELLING STOLEN FIREARMS

RALEIGH - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court yesterday Senior United States District Judge W. Earl Britt sentenced JUSTIN OMAR LEWIS, 20, to 76 months imprisonment followed by three years supervised release.

On July 27, 2011, a Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment charging LEWIS. On October 31, 2011, LEWIS pled guilty to possessing, storing, bartering, selling, and disposing of stolen firearms and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(j).

According to the investigation, on December 4, 2009, during a controlled purchase, LEWIS, and another individual, sold a Glock 17 9mm handgun, and a Kel Tec 9mm rifle with ammunition. The weapons had been previously stolen in a home invasion robbery committed by LEWIS and co-conspirator Bruce Moore.

Moore is presently serving a federal prison sentenced for his role in the offenses.

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 Rocky Mount Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney William Gilmore prosecuted the case.