A man from Harnett County has been sentenced to 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon. Joe Levaughn Smith, Sr., aged 63, had pled guilty to the charge on May 17, 2024.
“This case highlights the power of strong law enforcement partnerships to make our communities safer across the board,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “A missing child was safely recovered, and an armed felon was held accountable. We remain committed to protecting public safety and pursuing justice.”
Glenn M. McNeill, Jr., U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of North Carolina, commented on the collaboration between various authorities: “The successful recovery of a missing child, seizure of multiple firearms, and the prosecution of this individual responsible for violations of federal law demonstrates the unwavering dedication of our Deputy U.S. Marshals and law enforcement partners.” He added that the cooperation during this investigation was exceptional.
The incident began on January 25, 2022, when law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence in Bunnlevel related to the recovery of a mother and child missing from Fayetteville since 2016. Agencies involved included the U.S. Marshal’s Service (USMS), Fayetteville Police Department, Harnett County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), ATF, among others.
During the search at Smith’s residence, he became irate and noncompliant with officers while claiming he had COVID-19 and intentionally coughed towards them as they tried to detain him.
Smith had previously threatened a government employee and law enforcement in 2021 during an attempted welfare check.
The search resulted in finding four firearms: a .22 caliber rifle, a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun, another 12-gauge shotgun, and a 9mm handgun—all illegal for Smith as a convicted felon under federal law.
Daniel P. Bubar announced these details following sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The USMS led the investigation along with Fayetteville Police Department and HCSO; Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Foxx prosecuted this case.
