NEW BERN, NC – Donald Melvin, 52, has been sentenced to 188 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon. Melvin, who has two prior federal convictions, was designated as an armed career criminal due to his criminal history.
On January 6, 2022, Raleigh Police Department officers attempted to serve an outstanding arrest warrant at Melvin’s Raleigh apartment. Melvin initially provided a false identity but was later apprehended after an attempted escape. He was in possession of a loaded 9mm gun at the time of his arrest, and a search of his residence uncovered four additional firearms and various narcotics, including heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, and Phencyclidine.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Michael Easley for the Eastern District of North Carolina following a ruling by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the Raleigh Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Foxx.