A Columbus County man has been sentenced to five years in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
Paul Freeman, 39, of Chadbourn, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release for the offense, which occurred on April 22, 2021.
According to court documents, Freeman possessed a 9mm handgun in connection with his sale of crack and cocaine. The investigation into Freeman’s activities began in the spring of 2020, when law enforcement received complaints that he was selling drugs from his residence in Chadbourn.
Freeman was previously convicted of multiple drug offenses and had pending state charges related to drug trafficking offenses from 2017 and 2018. In March 2020, law enforcement conducted a controlled purchase from Freeman at his residence and obtained a search warrant, which was executed on March 11, 2020.
The search recovered paraphernalia, digital scales, quantities of crack and cocaine, as well as a 9mm handgun, which were found together in a closet of Freeman’s residence.
Freeman pled guilty to the charge on April 22, 2021.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuting the case.
The 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
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Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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