A federal judge has sentenced Marcus Terrell Burney, 44, to nearly five years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Burney pleaded guilty to the charge.
Court records show that Burney was stopped by the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office while driving on I-40 with expired registration tags. During the stop, a K-9 unit named Rocky alerted deputies to possible narcotics in the vehicle. Authorities from the sheriff’s office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) searched Burney’s car and found a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P .40 caliber handgun in the center console. They also discovered an open bottle of tequila, digital scales with powder residue, and marijuana residue. Burney’s blood alcohol content at the time was measured at 0.13.
This marks Burney’s third federal conviction. His previous convictions include possession with intent to sell marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime in 2004, as well as conspiracy to possess with intent to sell crack cocaine and hydrocodone in 2012. At the time of his latest offense, he was on federal supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle commented on the case: “It’s really easy to avoid this type of crime. If you cannot legally possess a gun, then don’t even try. Stay away from drug dealing, too, unless you want to go to prison for many years.”
Sampson County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton added: “Thanks to the alert work of our deputies, a traffic stop led to the arrest of an individual who was already on federal probation and illegally in possession of a firearm. This case highlights the importance of proactive policing and traffic enforcement in keeping dangerous weapons off our streets. I’m proud of our deputies for their dedication to public safety and their commitment to holding offenders accountable.”
The sentencing was announced by W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, following proceedings before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Sampson County Sheriff’s Office and ATF investigated the case; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Aria Q. Merle and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Severo prosecuted it.
