A Raleigh man has been handed a 90-month prison term for illegal firearm possession, following his involvement in a shooting incident, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced last Thursday. Christopher Ivan White, 58, entered a guilty plea to the charge on December 19, 2024, after being arrested for shooting a man and fleeing the scene.
On April 8, 2024, White shot another man in the leg outside of Renegade Motors on S. Wilmington Street in Raleigh; he then tried to discard the firearm while escaping before Raleigh Police apprehended him along with the weapon, and White, who was found with cocaine, had previously been convicted of various felonies which made it illegal for him to own or handle firearms; his criminal record includes breaking and entering, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and embezzlement, Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar, based on court documents and testimonies, emphasized the severity of White's actions.
The Raleigh Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms played key roles in the investigation leading up to White's arrest and subsequent sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The conviction underlines ongoing efforts to curb illegal firearm possession, particularly among individuals with a criminal history that prohibits such ownership.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Nokes and Evelyn S. Yarborough, who prosecuted the case, deemed the sentence as reflective of the serious nature of the offense and its impact on community safety.
