Seagrove Resident Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Possession of Ammunition

GREENSBORO -A Randolph County man pleaded guilty today to unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, announced Sandra J. Hairston, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina.

WESLEY MARK HUSSEY, age 45, of Seagrove, North Carolina, pleaded guilty today before Chief United States District Court Judge Catherine C. Eagles. Sentencing is scheduled for December 12, 2024, in Greensboro. HUSSEY faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release of not more than three years, and monetary penalties.

According to court documents, on March 13, 2024, Randolph County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to an address in Seagrove after a 911 caller said that WESLEY MARK HUSSEY was sitting on the front porch of the residence wearing an orange ski mask and holding a long gun. The caller stated that HUSSEY had an active protective order prohibiting him from being at the residence. At the scene, deputies observed HUSSEY walk towards the woods with a long gun on his shoulder. They searched the property and conducted a cursory search of the woods but were unable to locate HUSSEY. Eventually, deputies used a drone with thermal imaging and located him under a creek bank sitting in the water. Deputies ordered HUSSEY to surrender for twenty-five minutes. They then told HUSSEY they would be using chemical munitions. HUSSEY said he would come out unarmed. After HUSSEY surrendered, deputies found five 12-gauge shotgun shells and a .32 caliber round of ammunition on his person. Deputies were unable to locate the rifle despite an extensive search.

On November 18, 2016, HUSSEY was convicted in the Superior Court of Randolph County of felony voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to an active term of imprisonment exceeding one year. At the time of the instant offense, his prior convictions had not been expunged or set aside and he had not been pardoned or had his civil rights restored.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Randolph County Sheriff's Office, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Mary Ann Courtney.

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