Maxton Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Firearm Offenses

RALEIGH – John Stuart Bruce, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announced that in federal court today, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III, sentenced RONNIE DEESE, 39, of Maxton, NC to 240 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.

DEESE was named in a three-count Superseding Indictment filed on September 21, 2016. On October 25, 2016, DEESE pled guilty to discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

On May 28, 2016, investigators with the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, responded to a residence on Tuscarora Nation Road in Maxton in reference to a shooting. They met with a witness who stated that prior to the deputies arriving, he heard a knock on his door and observed a male with blood on his face standing outside his door. He opened his door and the victim walked into the home, followed by DEESE. DEESE was armed and pointed a firearm at the homeowner while ordering him to give DEESE what he had, referring to marijuana. The homeowner told DEESE he did not have anything and DEESE shot the man in the foot. DEESE then began searching the home. Once DEESE entered the kitchen, the homeowner fled from the home through the front door. DEESE soon left the residence with a trash bag containing approximately $5,000 worth of marijuana.

Investigators interviewed the man with blood on his face, who had multiple lacerations to the top of his head. He told investigators that prior to the robbery, DEESE approached him near a creek and struck him on the head with a firearm. DEESE instructed the victim to take him, “where the grass was,” referring to marijuana, and DEESE forced him to ride with DEESE to the residence.

On June 2, 2016, members of the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at DEESE’S residence. At the time, DEESE had outstanding warrants for his arrest based upon the incidents that transpired on May 28, 2016. While searching DEESE’S residence, investigators located and seized a stolen 9mm semi-automatic pistol from DEESE’S master bedroom.

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.

The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the criminal investigation of this case. Assistant United States Attorney Peggah Wilson handled the prosecution of this case for the government.