FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

TUESDAY - June 8, 2010

GREENVILLE MAN RECEIVED 20 YEARS FOR ILLEGAL DRUG SALES

RALEIGH - United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court today United States District Judge James C. Dever, III, sentenced PHILLIP MARK BANTOM, JR, 31, of Greenville, North Carolina, was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment followed by five years supervised release.

A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on December 15, 2008. On February 23, 2009, BANTOM pled guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 50 grams or more of cocaine base (crack) and a quantity of methylenedioxymethamphetamine.

From June, 2006, to October, 2008, eight controlled buys were performed in which varying amounts of powder and crack cocaine were purchased from BANTOM. The investigation revealed that from 2005 until October 28, 2008, BANTOM and his co-conspirators were responsible for the distribution of more than 10 kilograms of powder and crack cocaine.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Greenville Drug Task Force which includes the Greenville Police Department, the Pitt County Sheriff's Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office, the Farmville Police Department and the Wayne County Sheriff's Office. Special Assistant United States Attorney W. Glenn Perry represented the government. Prosecutor.Mr. Perry is a prosecutor with the Pitt County District Attorney’s Office.District Attorney Clark Everett has assigned him to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force criminal matters.This has been made possible by a grant funded by the Governor’s Crime Commission.