Lincoln Man Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Deigo Carter, Jr., 21, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 24, 2023, by Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to a term of 48 months’ imprisonment following his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. After he completes his prison sentence, Carter will also serve three years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

In September 2021, Lincoln police officers noticed Carter posting images of firearms on social media.  In one video, investigators observed defendant handling a handgun with a unique laser attachment. On September 7, 2021, Carter posted an advertisement for narcotics sales on social media. That evening, police saw Carter leave a residence in a car with others. Investigators noticed a green laser light coming from the car that matched the laser light they had seen on Carter’s social media. The car parked at a Lincoln business, the occupants got out and went inside, then came out and got back in the car, at which time police contacted them. At the time, Carter was serving a term of post-release supervision due to two felony convictions from Lancaster County. He was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because he was a felon.

Police recognized Carter, who was in the front passenger seat, from his social media postings. On the driver’s side floor, investigators saw a firearm light attachment similar to the one seen in defendant’s social media postings. Investigators saw a battery used for the attachment on the ground outside of the car, and Carter had a battery for the light in his pocket. In the trunk, police found jars of marijuana residue. In the back seat, police located a THC product Carter had been advertising for sale on social media. One of the backseat passengers had a bag of marijuana on his person. Police also located a stolen pistol containing an extended, loaded magazine. This appeared to be one of the same guns police noticed in Carter’s social media. Investigators obtained DNA samples from the gun and learned that Carter was included as a person who left his DNA on the gun. The handgun, which was manufactured outside of Nebraska, had been reported stolen from a Lincoln apartment about a month prior to September 7, 2021.

Carter’s sentence was enhanced because he possessed the firearm in connection with drug distribution.  

This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department and the FBI. 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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.