Mount Airy Man Sentenced to 180 Months of Imprisonment

GREENSBORO – A Mount Airy, North Carolina, resident was sentenced today in federal court in Greensboro for drug and firearms offenses, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina.

James Robert Brintle, age 26, was sentenced to a 180-month term of imprisonment by United States District Judge Catherine C. Eagles. In addition to prison time, Brintle was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. The defendant also forfeited a Ruger .380 pistol, a Japanese military rifle, and a MAS bolt action rifle. He pleaded guilty on July 11, 2022, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841, and felon in possession of a firearm, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).

According to court records, Brintle was stopped by Surry County Sheriff’s deputies on October 10, 2020 while driving without a license and after nearly striking a Surry County detective on Piper Gap Road. During the stop, a K-9 conducted a sniff of Brintle’s truck and made a positive indication for the presence of narcotics. Detectives conducted a search of the truck and uncovered three guns, 29 grams of methamphetamine, and two grams of fentanyl. Brintle admitted to selling approximately one pound of methamphetamine on a daily basis.

Brintle was previously convicted of North Carolina felonies punishable by more than twelve months imprisonment. Brintle was aware that these convictions made it unlawful for him to possess firearms, having received an 8-19 month suspended sentence for obtaining property by false pretenses in the Superior Court of Surry County in 2014 and a 6-17 month suspended sentence for possession of heroin in the Superior Court of Surry Count in 2018.

The investigation was jointly undertaken by the Department of Homeland Security- Homeland Security Investigations and the Surry County Sheriff’s Office. The criminal case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank J. Chut Jr.

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