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Press Release

Franklin County Drug Dealer Sentenced as Career Offender

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina

NEW BERN, N.C. – Jermaine Carlton Jones, 45, was sentenced today to 160 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana and being a felon in possession of a firearm.  On February 7, 2022, Jones pled guilty to the charges. Jones is a convicted felon and is considered a Career Offender under federal sentencing law because of previous convictions for violent crimes.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) Drug Unit began an investigation into Jones in October 2020 after responding to a report of a gunshot victim.  When they arrived on scene, officers encountered Jones who stated he had been shot in the head.  During the investigation of the crime scene, officers with FCSO recovered 56.5 grams of cocaine and a loaded 9mm handgun loaded with ammunition.  Thereafter, the FCSO utilized a confidential informant to make four controlled purchases of cocaine from Jones at his residence on Halifax Road in Louisburg, North Carolina.  In January 2021, the FCSO executed a search warrant on that residence and recovered 372 grams of marijuana, 100 grams of cocaine, a digital scale, $10,615 in cash, and a loaded revolver.  On June 2, 2021, the FCSO attempted to serve Jones with a federal arrest warrant based on the above conduct and observed him conduct a hand-to-hand drug transaction.  A later search of Jones’ residence upon his arrest yielded an additional amount of cocaine, cocaine base (crack), and marijuana.

Jones prior convictions include assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, selling or delivering cocaine, possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana, and several misdemeanor convictions. 

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson  prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-223-FL.

Updated February 15, 2023

Topic
Drug Trafficking