A Raleigh man has been handed a sentence of eight years in prison following a May 22, 2024, guilty plea for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Treyvion Maleke Sutton, who is 20 years old, attempted to evade police on December 8, 2023, following a traffic stop, which resulted in a foot chase where he discarded a "ghost gun" before being apprehended.
During the chase, Sutton was found to quickly have thrown away a loaded, unserialized weapon, which consisted of an extended magazine. These kinds of firearms, known as "ghost guns," are typically untraceable by law enforcement due to their lack of a serial number. They can be assembled from kits or built from scratch, making them a rising concern for authorities.
The case was prosecuted as part of the Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP), an initiative combining the efforts of various law enforcement agencies, aiming to root out the primary causes of violent crime in communities through collaboration. In a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Michael F. Easley, Jr. announced the sentence, which was handed down by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Raleigh Police Department.
The conviction represents a victory for VCAP, which seeks to strategically enforce laws against violent crimes through collected interagency action. Sutton, with a history of felony convictions that include common law robbery and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, was prohibited from gun or ammunition ownership, making his recent actions particularly egregious. Further details on Sutton's case can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or by looking up Case No. 5:24-CR-24-D-RN on PACER.
