U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston | U.S. Department of Justice
Jonathan Cameron Coley, a Greensboro resident, has been sentenced to 42 months in prison for a firearm offense. This was announced by United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina.
Coley, aged 26, entered a guilty plea on September 4, 2024, to the charge of possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance.
Court records indicate that on April 13, 2024, an officer from the Greensboro Police Department responded to Irving Park Elementary School following a burglar alarm activation at approximately 6:00 a.m. The officer discovered the gymnasium door propped open with a basketball goal but found no suspicious activity or individuals inside. Surveillance footage later revealed a blue Dodge Challenger arriving at the school at 5:23 a.m., with Coley identified as the suspect seen leaving and returning armed with a long gun. He entered through an unsecured door leading to the gym and was captured on video moving through various parts of the school before exiting through the kindergarten entrance.
Coley was arrested under state warrants for Breaking and/or Entering and Possession of a Firearm on School Grounds. During his arrest, officers noticed an odor of marijuana emanating from his vehicle. A search yielded edible THC products, bags of marijuana, marijuana cigarettes, drug paraphernalia including grinders and scales, and plastic storage bags. In subsequent interviews, Coley admitted to using methamphetamine multiple times daily.
The sentencing took place today with Chief United States District Judge Catherine C. Eagles presiding over the case in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. Coley received an additional three years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
The investigation was conducted by both the Greensboro Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole R. DuPré prosecuted the case.
