Lumberton Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug and Gun Crimes

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Lumberton man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute crack cocaine and cocaine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

According to court documents, James Calvin Breeden, 33, who is a convicted felon, was the passenger of a vehicle stopped by deputies with the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office as they were attempting to serve an outstanding warrant. When deputies approached the vehicle, they observed Breeden in possession of a Crown Royal bag that contained approximately 80 grams of crack cocaine and 38 grams of cocaine. He also possessed a loaded handgun inside of his waistband. 

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. For more information about this initiative click here:  https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/tbnc

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge W. Earl Britt. The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad Rhoades and Erin Blondel  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. 7:19-CR-00117-BR.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.