Source: United States Attorneys General
Headline: Federal Jury Convicts Jacksonville Man of Narcotic Distribution and Firearm Charges
ELIZABETH CITY – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced today that, ERIC HALL, a Jacksonville resident, was convicted in a two-day jury trial before United States District Judge Terrance W. Boyle. The jury found HALL guilty of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The evidence at trial showed that on February 19, 2016, a Jacksonville Police Officer smelled marijuana coming from a room in a hotel. He obtained a search warrant and HALL, a convicted felon, was found in the room in Jacksonville in possession of 6 ounces of cocaine, a .45 caliber handgun and $3,800 dollars in cash. On May 4, 2016, a search warrant was executed at HALL’s residence outside Jacksonville, resulting in the seizure of a handgun and two assault rifles.
HALL is scheduled to be sentenced in about 90 days.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Jacksonville Police Department and the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney John Bennett represented the government in this case.