U.S. Attorney Easley Announces Ongoing Wilmington-Area Violent Crime Strategy

<_w3a_sdt combobox="t" docpart="D8E639E7158341F9947D0A5747061C85" id="-1832983880" sdttag="Location" title="Location"><_w3a_listitem datavalue="RALEIGH" listvalue="RALEIGH"> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="GREENVILLE" listvalue="GREENVILLE"> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="NEW BERN" listvalue="NEW BERN"> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="WILMINGTON" listvalue="WILMINGTON"> <_w3a_listitem datavalue="ELIZABETH CITY" listvalue="ELIZABETH CITY"> RALEIGH, N.C. - Today, U.S. Attorney Michael Easley, along with federal and local law enforcement, provided an update regarding ongoing and coordinated efforts to address violent crime in Wilmington and surrounding areas. The Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) is a collaboration of the U.S. Attorney's Office with the Wilmington Police Department (WPD), the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office, the New Hanover County District Attorney's Office, the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). A primary objective of the VCAP is to investigate and prosecute individuals contributing significantly to crime in the city of Wilmington and surrounding areas.

As part of this effort, law enforcement most recently led a coordinated apprehension operation in June to identify and arrest defendants who were wanted for various outstanding charges, including violent offenses and drug offenses. According to court documents, the following nine individuals, all from the Wilmington area, were arrested on federal charges as part of the recent enforcement effort:

• Steven Ray Berg III, 29, distribution of cocaine.
• Kevon Lamante Bracey, 26, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (crack), possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a machinegun and possession of a firearm by a felon.
• Treyquan Deonte Corbett, 25, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, distribution of heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Robert James Dick, 24, possession of firearm by a felon, possession of a machinegun.
• Kevin Emmanuel Freeman, 29, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin, distribution of fentanyl, and aiding and abetting.
• Rashawn Herbert Hines, 29, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin, distribution of fentanyl, and aiding and abetting.
• Tyke'eke Monte Hines, 25, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, distribution of heroin.
• William Rashiem Lane, 35, possession of firearm by a felon.
• Andre Session, 29, federal supervised release violation.

Since the beginning of last year, a team of prosecutors, analysts, and investigators have collaborated to identify, charge, and arrest, individuals contributing to violent crime in Wilmington and surrounding areas, leading to 37 federal indictments and 41 guns seized, including five fully-automatic machineguns and six privately made firearms commonly known as "Ghost Guns." In addition, over 40 grams of fentanyl have been seized - enough for 20,000 potentially fatal doses. In the cases that have already been resolved, defendants collectively face over 1,700 months in custody.

"We are working around the clock to identify and prosecute anyone driving gun violence and narcotics trafficking in the Wilmington area," said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. "Our VCAP partnership makes public safety in Southeastern North Carolina a top priority and brings federal resources to the fight. In the heat of summer, when violence tends to spike, we want the public to know that we're working relentlessly to keep violent crime on the decline. This partnership has already taken dozens of guns off the streets, including five fully-automatic machine guns. Any felon caught with a gun this summer faces the very real threat of federal prosecution. This team is laser focused on driving down gun violence and drug trafficking in this region."

"I am extremely proud of the dedication and hard work that our officers and detectives have put into assisting with this joint operation. Illegal narcotics in the hands of criminals is a dangerous problem that we will continue to combat on the front lines. I am thankful for the strong partnerships we have with our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Our department will diligently work to pursue and prosecute those responsible for illegal activities to foster a safer environment for our citizens to live and work," said Wilmington Police Chief Donny Williams.

"Our federal and state partnerships are demonstrating exceptional effectiveness in catching criminals who know no jurisdictional lines," said New Hanover County Sheriff Ed McMahon. "Our collaborative effort enhances public safety across the state. By leveraging the unique strengths and resources of both federal and state agencies, we are able to streamline operations, share critical information, and execute coordinated strategies that lead to successful apprehensions."

"These arrests demonstrate the strong partnership between state and federal authorities and are yet another step towards making Wilmington a safer community," said New Hanover County District Attorney Ben David. "My office appreciates the collaboration with the law enforcement and prosecutorial partners and will continue to seek maximum sentences in any venue for individuals who are committing offenses involving firearms and fentanyl."

"The United States Marshals Service, through its long standing federal, state, and local partnerships ensures that violent fugitives are continuously pursued, discretely located, and safely arrested," said U.S. Marshal Glenn McNeill for the Eastern District of North Carolina. "The Wilmington VCAP is yet another example of those efforts."

"The FBI is committed to identifying, arresting, and working with our partners at the U.S. Attorney's Office to prosecute violent criminal street gang members and drug traffickers. It doesn't matter whether it's gang violence in a major metropolitan area or fentanyl sales in a rural neighborhood, neither has a place in our communities. The FBI's Safe Streets Task Force works every day to rid our communities of these destructive illegal activities," said Robert M. DeWitt, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.

"Collaboration is an important part of any plan aimed at addressing violent crime," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. "ATF is proud to be a part of the Violent Crime Action Plan and we remain committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to protect our communities."

An indictment/criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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