Source: Office of United States Attorneys
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced to 96 months in prison after fleeing from the police and discarding a “ghost gun”. On May 22, 2024, Treyvion Maleke Sutton pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on December 8, 2023, Sutton, 20, fled from Raleigh police officers on foot after officers attempted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which he was a passenger. While running from officers, Sutton discarded a loaded, unserialized “ghost gun” with an extended magazine. Sutton, who has prior felony convictions for common law robbery, assault by strangulation, discharge of a weapon into occupied property, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and battery of an unborn child, was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
A privately made firearm is often called a “ghost gun” because it is not marked with a serial number and therefore is far more difficult for law enforcement to trace if they are used to commit crimes. These firearms can be made from scratch, or they can be assembled from weapon parts kits, including “buy-build-shoot” kits, which are weapon part kits with pre-manufactured, dissembled, complete firearms (a firearm in a box).
The conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is a collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, and interagency coordination and intelligence-led policing.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Nokes prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-24-D-RN.