United States of America v. Charles Lamont Gregory, III

New Bern, North Carolina, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with drug possession with intent to distribute and felony possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Charles Lamont Gregory, III, age 36, of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, was driving a car with expired tags in the early morning hours of August 7, 2022. An Elizabeth City Police Officer on patrol spotted the car and stopped it. Gregory delayed stopping, making several turns, the last of which was into a gas station parking lot. As Gregory finally turned into the gas station, the officer saw him throw a yellow bag out of the window. Officers retrieved the bag and discovered eight individually wrapped baggies of lab-confirmed crack cocaine. Each baggie containing about 1.5 grams and packaged for easy distribution. Officers also located a loaded gun in the vehicle's glove compartment. After a two-day trial, a federal jury convicted Gregory of possession of a firearm by a felon, possession with the intent to distribute crack, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phil Aubart and Jermaine Sellers prosecuted the case. The Elizabeth City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case.

The Defendant was convicted and was 300 months imprisonment (term of 240 months on Count 1s, a term of 60 months on Count 2s, to run consecutively, and a term of 180 months on Count 3s, to run concurrently) followed by 6 years of supervised release (6 years on Count 1s, 5 years on Count 2s, and 3 years on Count 3s, all such terms to run concurrently) - $300 special assessment (due immediately) - Ineligible for federal benefits for 5 years