ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The gritty streets of Asheville saw a major shakeup today as Justin Allen Owenby, 27, was indicted on federal charges including unlawful possession of a firearm and smuggling under Operation Take Back America.
Owenby stands accused of unlawfully possessing a Glock 48, 9mm pistol, with prior felony convictions to his name. The Asheville native is now facing the possibility of serious penalties for his brazen actions.
But Owenby isn’t alone in these charges. Gregory Lee Pettit, 51, from Candler, N.C., has been charged with possession of an unregistered grenade and a firearm by an unlawful user addicted to a controlled substance. William Stanley Ellwood, 38, of Cherokee, N.C., faces charges for possessing an unregistered silencer and receiving one not identified by serial number.
And Rafael Martinez-Reano, 35, of Rutherfordton, N.C., is charged with illegal reentry into the United States after being deported twice. The cases are a stark reminder of the ongoing battle against transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and illegal immigration.
In a gritty move to combat these issues, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson thanked law enforcement agencies including the ATF, ICE, Homeland Security Investigations, Emergency Removal Operations, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, and Cherokee Indian Police Department for their relentless efforts in leading these investigations.
The cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aiming to protect communities from violent crime and illegal immigration. The operation leverages resources from OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
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Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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