Robber Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Federal Prison
| U.S. Attorney’s Office February 08, 2012 |
RALEIGH—United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court yesterday Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III, sentenced JONTEZ EDWARD ARTHUR, 21, of Vanceboro, North Carolina, to 191 months’ imprisonment followed by five years’ supervised release.
On June 29, 2011, a federal grand jury returned a criminal indictment. On October 3, 2011, ARTHUR pled guilty to robbery of a business engaged in interstate commerce, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a federal crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A).
According to the investigation, on September 18, 2010, ARTHUR and three other males, entered the Five Points Mini Mart, in New Bern, North Carolina, wearing t-shirts covering their faces. Three of the four carried firearms. Upon entering the store, two of the individuals fired their weapons in the store clerk’s direction. While ARTHUR held the clerk at gunpoint, one of the other individuals took money from the register. They then left the store. Law enforcement, responding to the call, observed two individuals, one of them ARTHUR, walking near where the robbery had occurred. When the officer tried to speak with the individuals, they took off running. The officer followed. After a short distance, the officer apprehended ARTHUR. The officer retraced the path of the chase and located a pair of sweat pants. In the pocket of the pants the officer found a .380 caliber handgun. Through forensic testing, it was learned that the handgun matched the casing found in the store.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force (Wilmington) and the New Bern Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jane J. Jackson prosecuted the case.