A Fayetteville man, Terry A. Frederick, age 40, has been handed a 15-year sentence for an attempted carjacking in Harnett County and for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon; this sentence results from his guilty plea entered on May 9, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Michael F. Easley, Jr. The pursuit of justice follows an incident dating back to January 31, 2023, when Frederick brandished a loaded handgun and attempted to force a man from his pickup truck while firing at least one shot after the driver eluded his grasp, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported.
Before the altercation with the pickup driver Frederick was observed walking along Hodges Chapel Road, near I-95, shouting threats and discharging his firearm in the vicinity; when authorities arrived at the scene, affording arrest, he put up resistance but was ultimately subdued and found to be carrying a stolen .40 caliber pistol, his prior convictions include a range of drug and property crimes, according to the same U.S. Attorney's Office report.
This conviction comes under the scope of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal initiative aiming to curb violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement at all levels and their communities, the Department of Justice introduced an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021, which places a strong emphasis on earning community trust, supporting organizations that aid in preventing violence before it starts, and establishing measured, strategic enforcement goals.
The combined efforts leading to Frederick's sentencing saw involvement from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Dunn Police Department, and the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office; the case's prosecution was managed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Nokes, the sentence was delivered by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III as per the notification by Michael F. Easley, Jr., shedding light once more on the effective collaboration within law enforcement and the judicial system in tackling crimes of a violent and serious nature.
