GREENSBORO, N.C. - A Winston-Salem man was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge William L. Osteen, Jr., to 108 months in prison and three years of supervised release for a firearm offense, announced United States Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin of the Middle District of North Carolina.
SHAMMOHD JAMEIL BALLAH, age 22, was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. He pleaded guilty to the charge on June 3, 2020.
According to court documents, on November 4, 2019, Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD) officers investigating a report of a drive-by shooting at a residence on Bethabara Road found shell casings strewn about the ground in front of the property, as well as numerous holes on the exterior of the residence. Eleven spent shell casings - eight 7.62mm and three 9mm - were located at the scene. Based on witness interviews, BALLAH was developed as a suspect. BALLAH was on state probation at the time and court-ordered GPS monitoring location data placed him in the area of the shooting at the time it occurred. WSPD officers tracked BALLAH to his apartment complex the following day and found him outside in a vehicle which contained a Cugir pistol, model Micro Draco, 7.62x39mm caliber. BALLAH was previously convicted of Possession of a Stolen Firearm with an offense date of Jan. 17, 2016, and was sentenced to 6-17 months.
Another 22-year-old from Winston-Salem, DARRIAN SYLVESTER SCOTT, JR., was sentenced earlier this week on a charge of felon in possession of a firearm. SCOTT, JR. was sentenced on Sept. 29, 2020, to 92 months in prison by United States District Court Judge Catherine C. Eagles.
“We will continue to support our federal and local law enforcement partners and aggressively prosecute gun crime," said U.S. Attorney Matt Martin. “Every neighborhood should be safe from gun violence."
The BALLAH case was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Winston-Salem Police Department. The SCOTT case was investigated by WSPD and the ATF.
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
