drug dealer sentenced for charges relating to a drug deal gone awry
WILMINGTON - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court today Senior United States District Judge James C. Fox sentenced DEMORIS SINCLAIR THOMPSON, 21, of Goldsboro, North Carolina, to 72 months imprisonment followed by five years supervised release.
A Federal Grand Jury returned a Superseding Criminal Indictment on December 21, 2011. On April 23, 2012, THOMPSON pled guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of a quantity of marijuana and using, carrying, and possessing firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
According to evidence presented in court, on March 28, 2011, co-defendant Eric Henry met Joel Artis at a store in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and offered to sell Artis some marijuana. A time and place were set for the drug deal to occur. Artis went to the specified location and waited. Co-defendant Isiah Young got into Artis’ car and handed him approximately 782 grams of marijuana. As Artis turned to put the bag in the back seat, he saw THOMPSON walking up on the side of the vehicle. Artis looked back at Young and Young was pointing a gun at him. THOMPSON got in the back seat, and Artis grabbed his own gun and shot Young. A fight ensued between Artis and Young, with Artis firing his weapon again. Eventually Young and THOMPSON fled on foot. Officers, responding to a 9-1-1 call, observed a vehicle committing traffic violations. Officers stopped the vehicle, which contained Henry, THOMPSON, Young and a driver. Young had been shot. After smelling marijuana, officers saw a plastic bag full of marijuana in plain view and two guns, covered with blood, were on the floorboard. Henry, THOMPSON, and Young were arrested. During a search of Artis’ vehicle, officers found a small amount of cocaine, marijuana, and set of scales.
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 Goldsboro Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jane J. Jackson prosecuted the case.
