FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

WEDNESDAY - June 9, 2010

WINTERVILLE MAN SENTENCED FOR ILLEGAL DRUGS

NEW BERN - United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court today Chief United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced ARNOLD LEE BAKER, JR, 29, of Winterville, North Carolina, to 128 months’ imprisonment followed by five years supervised release. The Court sited his past criminal history as reasons for the sentence enhancement.

A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on September 9, 2009. On March 2010, BAKER pled guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of five grams or more of cocaine base (crack).

In February, 2009, authorities performed a controlled purchase in which 6.6 grams of crack cocaine were purchased with BAKER making the delivery of the narcotics. The investigation revealed that BAKER had been involved in the illegal drug trade since as early as 2000. It is estimated that BAKER bought 48.95 grams of crack cocaine and 113.4 grams of powder 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. 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.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.