Anthony Jamaal Lee, Firearm Possession, North Carolina 2021

Raleigh, N.C. – In a shocking turn of events, 32-year-old Anthony Jamaal Lee of Kinston, North Carolina, has been sentenced to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release for two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon. Lee, a repeat offender, had previously pled guilty to the charges on March 25, 2021.

The charges stem from a series of events that unfolded in 2019. On July 11, 2019, a Goldsboro Police Department patrol officer spotted a white Cadillac tailgating another car on the Highway 70 service road in Goldsboro. The officer initiated a traffic stop and discovered a Taurus 9mm handgun in a small compartment near the rear central armrest, along with a bag that contained marijuana. Lee, the driver, was prohibited from possessing the handgun due to felony state convictions in 2013 and 2014 for carrying concealed firearms.

Lee was questioned about the marijuana and admitted to having smoked in the car earlier in the day. Further investigation revealed that Lee had become the subject of a drug investigation in Kinston later in 2019. A confidential informant fitted with a video recording device conducted a controlled purchase of marijuana and ecstasy from Lee at his Kinston home on November 21, 2019. The informant reported to law enforcement that Lee had a black gun on his hip when he came to the door.

A short time later, Lee left the house in his white Cadillac and was pulled over and taken into custody. Officers executed a search warrant at the residence and recovered a black Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol, as well as some marijuana and ecstasy. The investigation involved the Kinston Police Department, Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office, Goldsboro Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.

The sentencing of Anthony Jamaal Lee serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of repeat offenders who continue to disregard the law. Lee’s sentence is a testament to the tireless efforts of law enforcement agencies in North Carolina who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe.

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. 4:19-cr-0087-BO.

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