NEW BERN, N.C. – A Rocky Mount man was sentenced today to 52 months in prison for possessing a handgun as a convicted felon. On November 16, 2021, Raekwon Laderek Briggs pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Raekwon Briggs, 26, possessed two handguns during a high-speed chase in Edgecombe County. On March 21, 2019, a deputy pulled Briggs over for an expired registration. Briggs stopped his car and then accelerated when the deputy opened the door to his patrol car. Several law enforcement officers pursued Briggs. During the chase, Briggs sped through two school zones, ran a stoplight, and crossed the center line into oncoming traffic several times, which forced one car off the road. Briggs eventually stopped, and deputies observed two handguns on the dashboard. Both firearms were loaded with 28 rounds each. After his arrest, Briggs told the deputies that he knew the firearms were in the vehicle. Briggs also said he would have ended the chase in a shootout if Rocky Mount police officers had been involved in the chase.
Briggs had previously been convicted of several felonies, including robbery with a dangerous weapon and attempted possession of a firearm as a felon. Briggs was also validated by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety as a member of the Bloods street gang.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, the Nash County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parris 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. 4:20-CR-00010-FL.