RALEIGH- United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court today Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III, sentenced JOEL ARTIS, 37, of Goldsboro, North Carolina, to 156 months imprisonment followed by three years supervised release.
ARTIS was originally charged by Criminal Information on March 19, 2012, with possessing with intent to distribute a quantity of marijuana and a quantity of cocaine. On May 10, 2012, ARTIS pled guilty to the charges.
According to evidence presented in court, on March 28, 2011, ARTIS met co-defendant Eric Henry at a store in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Henry offered to sell ARTIS some marijuana. A time and place were set for the drug deal to occur. ARTIS went to the specified location and waited. Co-defendant Isiah Young got into ARTIS’ car and handed him approximately 782 grams of marijuana. As ARTIS turned to put the bag in the back seat, he saw co-defendant Thompson walking up on the side of the vehicle. ARTIS looked back at Young and Young was pointing a gun at him. Thompson got in the back seat, and ARTIS grabbed his own gun and shot Young. A fight ensued between ARTIS and Young, with ARTIS firing his weapon again. Eventually Young and Thompson fled on foot. Officers, responding to a 9-1-1 call, observed a vehicle committing traffic violations. Officers stopped the vehicle, which contained Henry, Thompson, Young and a driver. Young had been shot. After smelling marijuana, officers saw a plastic bag full of marijuana in plain view and two guns, covered with blood, were on the floorboard. Henry, Thompson, and Young were arrested. During a search of ARTIS’ vehicle, officers found a small amount of cocaine, marijuana, and set of scales.
While awaiting sentencing, ARTIS was involved in another drug deal on September 4, 2012, at the Lighthouse Market in Goldsboro, North Carolina. ARTIS was arrested and found in possession of 0.73 gram of Heroin, 6.76 grams of cocaine, and a mixture of 0.87 grams of Benzylpiperazine (BZP), Trifluoromethylphrnylpiperazine(MDPPP)and Methyenedioxyprovalerone (MDPV).
This case was part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative which encourages federal, state, and local agencies to cooperate in a unified “team effort" against gun crime, targeting repeat offenders who continually plague their communities.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Goldsboro Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jane J. Jackson prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
