FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

WEDNESDAY - April 6, 2011

MULTI-CONVICTED FELON PLEADS GUILTY TO GUN CHARGE

NEW BERN - United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court today LEROY WILLIAMSON, 56, of Burgaw, North Carolina, pled guilty before United States Magistrate Judge David W. Daniel to unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924.

A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on October 27, 2010.

According to the investigation, on May 6, 2010, law enforcement received information that WILLIAMSON, a convicted felon, was selling firearms at Wells Stockyard located in Wallace, North Carolina. A controlled buy was arranged at Wells Stockyard. WILLIAMSON had a sales table set up displaying three rifles; a J.C. Higgins 12-gauge pump shotgun, a Marlin .22 caliber rifle, and an O.F. Mossberg and Sons 20-gauge bolt action shotgun. After some bartering, WILLIAMSON sold the J.C. Higgins 12 gauge pump shotgun. Once the purchase was complete, deputies placed WILLIAMSON under arrest. WILLIAMSON’s felonious criminal history includes 31 convictions for breaking and entering and 1 conviction for escape.

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 Duplin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Felice McConnell Corpening 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.