FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

TUESDAY - April 5, 2011

KINSTON DRUG DEALER SENT TO FEDERAL PRISON

RALEIGH - United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court today Senior United States District Judge W. Earl Britt sentenced TORREY DEVON WILLIAMS, 31, of Kinston, North Carolina, to 180 months’ imprisonment followed by three years supervised release.

A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on June 2, 2010. On December 6, 2010, WILLIAMS pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of marijuana and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to the investigation, on July 25, 2009, WILLIAMS fired six shots at a victim, hitting the victim five times. WILLIAMS had previously warned the victim to not sell drugs in WILLIAMS’ drug territory. On August 6, 2009, officers obtained a search warrant for WILLIAMS’ resident. That day, officers executed the search warrant. Officers also had an outstanding arrest warrant for WILLIAMS for attempted murder and discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling. As officers made entry into the front of the residence, other officers observed WILLIAMS fleeing out the back door with a plastic garbage bag in his right hand. WILLIAMS flung the bag and ran but was ordered to the ground and then taken into custody. Officers found a stolen loaded Ruger, 9mm pistol in the bag. Inside the residence, officers found digital scales, $2,757.00 in currency and marijuana in a large bag under a crib in a bedroom. They also found 19 bags of marijuana in the trash can in the back yard.

WILLIAMS’ previous convictions include carrying a dangerous weapon during a crime of violence, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of schedule II substance, involuntary manslaughter, and possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana.

This case was part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods(PSN) initiative which encourages federal, state, and local agencies to cooperate in a unified “team effort” against gun crime, targeting repeat offenders who continually plague their communities.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kinston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jane J. Jackson represented the government.

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