Jerry Lee Ellerbe Jr., Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, North Carolina 2018

A Laurinburg man, Jerry Lee Ellerbe Jr., was sentenced to federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in North Carolina.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – According to officials, Ellerbe pleaded guilty on August 8, 2018 to the crime and was subsequently sentenced by United States District Judge William L. Osteen Jr. to 50 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

The incident occurred on April 16, 2018, when Laurinburg Police Sergeant Zachary Van Horn attempted to stop the car Ellerbe was driving, after seeing Ellerbe fail to observe a stop sign. Ellerbe did not stop when Sgt. Van Horn used his police blue lights and siren, and instead, took off at a high rate of speed, running through other stops signs and coming to a stop on a dead-end road. Ellerbe fled on foot into a wooded area near a residential neighborhood.

Sgt. Van Horn saw a woman outside a residence who told him that someone just ran inside her house. Ellerbe then came out of that house and was detained by police. Officers returned to the car from which Ellerbe fled and found a Glock .357 pistol on the driver’s seat, loaded with 15 rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber. They also found marijuana, a digital scale, and pills.

Ellerbe had been convicted in Scotland County of felony possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, and was on supervised probation at the time he was encountered by Sgt. Van Horn.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Laurinburg Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Anand P. Ramaswamy for the Middle District of North Carolina.

The 50-month sentence is a significant one, and serves as a reminder of the consequences of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. It is essential for individuals to understand the gravity of their actions and the potential consequences that follow.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdnc/pr/laurinburg-man-sentenced-50-months-prison-possession-firearm-convicted-felon