RALEIGH - United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that yesterday in federal court, LAMONT TURRENTINE, 40, a resident of Four Oaks, North Carolina, was convicted in a one-day jury trial before Chief United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The jury found TURRENTINE guilty of each of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
The evidence showed that TURRENTINE, who is a multi-convicted felon and has previously been, convicted of felon in possession of a firearm along with multiple felony convictions for the sale of cocaine. During the trial, the government presented evidence showing TURRENTINE engaged in a shoot-out with Wayne County Deputies who attempted to arrest him following an attempted burglary. During a chase, TURRENTINE fired his weapon at Officers and the Officers returned fire. TURRENTINE was arrested a short time later. Officers retraced the path where TURRENTINE fled and found a firearm. A ballistics expert matched the firearm found on the path to the casings that were found where the shoot-out took place.
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 in those communities on a sustained basis to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Donald R. Pender represented the government.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
