Asheville Man Is Sentenced To More Than Eight Years For His Role In Burglary Of Gun Store

DOJ Press

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Today, Chief U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced Lyron Deshawn Greenlee to 102 months in prison, for his role in the burglary of a gun store in Asheville, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Greenlee, 35, of Asheville, was also ordered to serve three years under court supervision upon completion of his prison term.

Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief David Zack of the Asheville Police Department (APD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, Greenlee conspired with his co-defendants, Jesse Lynn Williams, and Alexa Rae Bassillo, to organize and plan the burglary of Carolina Guns and Gear West, LLC (Carolina Guns and Gear), a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) located at 3106 Sweeten Creek Road, in Asheville. Court records show that on January 7, 2022, Williams broke into the gun store and stole 33 firearms, while Greenlee and Bassillo served as lookouts or drivers during the burglary.

According to court documents, immediately after the burglary, Greenlee, Williams and Bassillo traveled to Greenlee’s residence, where they divvied up the stolen firearms. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that Greenlee received eight of the stolen firearms, two of which Greenlee sold to his co-defendant, Bernard Eugene Carson, a prohibited person who is not permitted to own a firearm due to prior criminal convictions. To date, law enforcement have recovered eight of the 33 stolen firearms.


On April 25, 2022, Greenlee pleaded guilty to theft of firearms from an FFL and aiding and abetting. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. Williams, Bassillo, and Carson have entered guilty pleas and are currently awaiting sentencing.


In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and APD for their investigation of the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is handling the prosecution.

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