Winterville Man Arrested on Federal Firearm Charge After Attempting to Kill Woman

GREENVILLE, N.C. – A Winterville man was arrested today on charges of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon after allegedly attempting to kill a woman.

Errol Rahnell Taheim Baston, 36, of Winterville, North Carolina, was arrested by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and is charged by complaint with one count of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Baston faces a maximum penalty of 120 months’ imprisonment if convicted. Baston will make his first appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kimberly A. Swank, in Greenville, North Carolina.

On April 19, 2021, members of the Greenville Police Department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT), Emergency Response Team (ERT), and K-9 Unit attempted to serve arrest warrants at Baston’s residence in the 3800 block of Sterling Pointe Drive, Greenville, North Carolina. The charges stem from a domestic incident over the weekend in which Baston reportedly held a woman against her will, repeatedly assaulted and choked her, and attempted to drown her in a bathtub. After a brief standoff, Baston attempted to flee the scene through the rear door of the residence but was ultimately apprehended by a K-9 officer. Officers seized a .40 caliber handgun, a 12-gauge shotgun, and an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle from the residence. Baston has prior felony convictions for robbery and assault from Kings County, New York.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Greenville Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aakash Singh is prosecuting the case. 

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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