A federal jury in Wilmington, North Carolina has found Anton Montes Vernon, 31, of Ahoskie guilty of illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The verdict follows an incident on November 9, 2023, when officers with the Down East Drug & Violent Crime Task Force were conducting saturation patrols in high crime areas across Northampton, Hertford, Gates, and Bertie Counties.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Vernon was found with a loaded 9mm pistol in his jeans pocket during a safety check by police. Officers approached Vernon and others standing outside a vehicle after detecting the odor of marijuana. The town of Ahoskie is located in Hertford County and has a population of 4,891.
Vernon had previously been convicted by North Carolina State prosecutors for three separate breaking and entering offenses. These convictions qualified him as an Armed Career Criminal under federal sentencing guidelines. As a result of this status, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones commented on the case: “The blatant disregard a career criminal has for law and order poses a serious threat to public safety. Our job is to put a stop to their cycle of crime and violence, and we’ll continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities from repeat offenders.”
The announcement was made by Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the jury’s verdict. The investigation involved the Ahoskie Police Department, the Down East Drug Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jaren Kelly and Phil Aubart prosecuted the case.
