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Press Release

Greenville Carjacker Sentenced To 327 Months

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

GREENVILLE – United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that today in federal court, Senior United States District Judge Malcolm J. Howard sentenced David Devonne Battiste, 42, of Greenville to 327 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

David Devonne Battiste was named in an Indictment filed on September 11, 2014 charging him with Carjacking, Use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  On April 7, 2015, Battiste pled guilty to Carjacking and use of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.

According to the investigation, on July 15, 2013, officers with the Greenville Police Department were dispatched to a report of a robbery at 413 West 5th Street in Greenville, N.C.  Upon arrival, officers made contact with two victims who indicated that they were robbed at gunpoint by two males who demanded the keys to their vehicle and drove away.  The victims indicated that as they sat in the vehicle, two suspects approached the driver’s side door.  The first suspect, later identified as BATTISTE, tapped on the driver’s side door with a silver hand-gun and demanded that the driver open the door.  The driver was forcefully removed from the vehicle, and his wallet and cash removed from his pockets.  The passenger was then also ordered out of the vehicle, and when he refused, BATTISTE pointed the handgun at him and pulled the trigger. The weapon initially misfired, however; BATTISTE pulled the trigger a second time and a bullet shattered the passenger side window near the victim’s head.  The second victim exited the vehicle and was also robbed. The suspects forced the victims to lie in the grass, entered the truck and drove out of the parking lot.       The victims were able to give a description of the suspect with the firearm and BATTISTE was located shortly thereafter near where the stolen vehicle was located. A firearm was located in BATTISTE’S right front pocket, as well as the keys to the stolen vehicle and a bracelet matching one that was stolen from one of the victims.  Officers also located two shell casings, one that still contained a bullet but had a primer mark (indicating a misfire) and one empty casing.        

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Greenville Police Department along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant United States Attorney Carrie Randa represented the government.

Updated October 7, 2015