Wilmington Man Convicted of Distributing Crack Cocaine and Possessing a Gun Receives 9 Years in Federal Prison

RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces today that Chief United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced ANDREA BLOODWORTH, 57, of New Hanover County to 108 months’ imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release.    On January 17, 2019, BLOODWORTH who was on supervised release for a previous federal conviction of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine and a quantity of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine base and cocaine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  BLOODWORTH also admitted to violating conditions of federal supervised release, which was a factor considered in the sentence imposed by the Court. 

On January 9, 2018, BLOODWORTH fled from New Hanover County Sheriff’s Vice Detectives as they attempted to make a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by BLOODWORTH,  following what they observed to be a drug transaction in the Wal-Mart parking lot on Sigmund Road in Wilmington.    BLOODWORTH fled from officers, but was eventually stopped.  Further investigation revealed that, while attempting to flee, BLOODWORTH told a passenger to conceal individual baggies of crack cocaine in a pill bottle, which the passenger did.     

On May 17, 2018, the Wilmington Police Department and the FBI Safe Streets Unit executed a search warrant at BLOODWORTH’s residence on Manley Avenue in Wilmington North Carolina.  Law Enforcement found crack cocaine, cocaine, a loaded .22 caliber handgun, and more than $10,000 in United States currency.

 BLOODWORTH was on federal supervised release at the time of his arrest for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

This case is also part of the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.  This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations Safe Streets Unit (Gangs), the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Wilmington Police Department and the New Hanover Sheriff’s Offices.  Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.