Fayetteville Man Convicted Of Firearm Charges

NEW BERN - United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that, DELTON WARREN, 55, of Fayetteville was convicted in federal court following a 2-day trial before United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan.  The jury found WARREN guilty of felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The jury heard evidence that WARREN distributed cocaine and crack cocaine from February 2017 to April 2017 and, during that time period, the Fayetteville Police Department utilized a confidential informant to make four undercover purchases of crack cocaine from WARREN.  As the investigation continued, Officers obtained a search warrant for WARREN’s residence.  WARREN was arrested and was found to be in possession of crack cocaine.  Inside the residence, Officers found a large quantity of crack cocaine, powder cocaine and a large amount of currency.  In close proximity to the drugs and money, Officers found a loaded handgun ready to be fired.

WARREN faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release at his sentencing hearing at a later date.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Since 2017 the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

That effort has been implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.  This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Fayettteville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorneys Jane Jackson and Chad Rhoades handled the prosecution of this case for the government.