NEW BERN - The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced KEVIN PAUL WOOD, 19, of Raleigh to 57 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
WOOD was named in an Indictment filed on July 25, 2018. On Nov. 13, 2018, WOOD pled guilty to one-count of Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.
On April 17, 2018, investigators with the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) responded to a breaking and entering and larceny call in Lillington, North Carolina. When officers arrived at the home, it appeared to have been rummaged through, and a rifle and.9mm handgun had been stolen. Evidence showed that WOOD committed this breaking and entering and stole the firearms. On April 19, 2018, deputies with the HCSO responded to a residence in which the victims were home sleeping when they received a call from their grandson that someone was outside their home. One of the victims went to the backdoor and noticed it was cracked open; when she opened the door, she saw a man on the other side of the storm door pointing a gun at her face. The victim slammed the door and called 911. The victim further advised that the suspect had to be on foot because the front gate was locked. HCSO deputies observed footprints outside the residence. During their investigation, deputies received a domestic disturbance call at WOOD’s parents’ home, not far from the scene. When deputies arrived, WOOD was outside with his family, and officers conducted a pat down search of him. HCSO found several.32 caliber bullets in WOOD’s pant pockets. WOOD was detained as it was determined he was a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
This 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. Since 2017 the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
That effort has been implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The case was investigated by the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel W. Smith prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
