A Wake County man has been sentenced to over six years in federal prison on firearms charges after incriminating himself with a social media post. Diamonique Shawn Newton, 33, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and received a 78-month prison term, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
The case began to unfold in February 2024, when the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) noticed Newton, who they knew to be a convicted felon, brandishing a gun in photos on his Facebook page. The investigation quickly escalated on February 26 when Newton decided to live stream a video on Facebook, pointing the gun at the camera. Following these social media postings, the RPD obtained and executed a search warrant on Newton's residence on February 29. There, they discovered two firearms, one reported as stolen, a significant quantity of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia, according to the Department of Justice.
Newton's admission that the stolen firearm was bought "off the street" played a part in the sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. His past criminal record, nearly two decades long and including multiple felony convictions for drug-related offenses and attempted possession of a firearm by a felon, added to the severity of his punishment.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Daniel P. Bubar, announced the sentencing, underscoring the cooperation between local police and federal agents in the case. "Our streets are safer when we to collectively work to keep firearms out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them," Bubar said, as noted in the Department of Justice press release. The efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Raleigh Police Department were crucial in bringing the case to a close. Assistants U.S. Attorneys Jaren Kelly and Kimberly Dixon prosecuted the case.
