A Raleigh man is headed to federal prison for 12 years after prosecutors said he sold fentanyl and a handgun in a pair of undercover buys. Jeremy Hinton pleaded guilty in early April and received the term under a federal career-offender enhancement.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Hinton entered his guilty plea on April 4. Investigators with the Raleigh Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives carried out two controlled purchases of fentanyl from him, and during the second buy he also sold a Glock 36. Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II handed down the sentence, the office said.
"Fentanyl poisons our communities, killing our kids and neighbors," U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle said in the release, calling Hinton's record egregious and warning that fentanyl paired with firearms is especially dangerous. The U.S. Attorney’s Office posted the statement and sentencing details online.
Undercover Buys, A Gun Sale And Two High-Speed Chases
Local reporting says Raleigh police and ATF agents arranged the two controlled buys, and that when officers tried to stop Hinton after the deals, he took off. He slipped away after the first attempted stop, then later led officers on another chase that hit speeds of more than 80 mph. Prosecutors and local outlets also highlighted a lengthy criminal history that includes convictions for breaking and entering, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, selling cocaine, possessing drugs with intent to sell and shooting into an occupied home, factors federal authorities say triggered the career-offender label, according to CBS17.
How Career-Offender Rules Jack Up Sentences
Federal sentencing guidelines allow a career-offender designation when the current offense is a controlled-substance or violent crime and the defendant has qualifying prior felony convictions. That label typically places defendants in Criminal History Category VI and pushes advisory sentencing ranges significantly higher.
The U.S. Sentencing Commission notes that the career-offender guideline can dramatically increase a recommended sentence for repeat drug or violent offenders, narrowing the court's advisory range in many cases, per the U.S. Sentencing Commission.
Next Steps And Where To Find The Records
Related court documents for Case No. 5:23-CR-365-M-RJ are available on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina's website. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has posted a press release with prosecutors' comments and sentencing details, and filings along with the final judgment should appear on the court docket or via PACER for those looking for the official record.
