A 26-year-old Greenville man is sitting in the Pitt County jail with no bond after his arrest Thursday on charges of second-degree forcible rape and first-degree kidnapping. Almoni Tayon Lewis was taken into custody and was scheduled to appear in court Friday, as investigators laid out allegations that he restrained and moved an adult victim without her consent during the reported assault.
According to court warrants reported by WITN-TV, Greenville police arrested Lewis after charging documents alleged he kidnapped and sexually assaulted a victim who was described as physically helpless. Charging documents further allege that Lewis restrained and moved the adult victim without consent during the reported sexual assault, per WCTI, which first reported that he remains held at the Pitt County jail.
How the Charges Fit Together Under State Law
The physically helpless designation in the warrants is not just a detail — it is the legal hinge connecting both charges. Under North Carolina General Statute § 14-27.22, second-degree forcible rape is defined as vaginal intercourse accomplished by force or with a victim who is mentally incapacitated or physically helpless, and the offense is classified as a Class C felony.
That same allegation elevates the restraint charge. Under North Carolina General Statute § 14-39, kidnapping becomes first-degree — also a Class C felony — when the victim is not released in a safe place, suffers serious bodily injury, or is sexually assaulted during the crime. In Lewis's case, the alleged sexual assault is what pushed the kidnapping charge to the more serious first-degree tier.
No Bond, No Magistrate Decision
Lewis's no-bond status traces back to procedure rather than a judge weighing in on guilt. Under North Carolina General Statute § 15A-534.1, initial pretrial release conditions for severe violent felony or sexual violence charges must be set by a judge rather than a magistrate, which often means suspects sit in jail without bond until their first court appearance.
That is effectively what happened to Lewis, who was booked into the Pitt County Detention Center and held to await his scheduled court date. His case will now move to the Third Prosecutorial District, which covers all of Pitt County and is led by elected District Attorney Faris Dixon, according to the NC Conference of District Attorneys.
What a Conviction Would Mean
Both charges Lewis faces are Class C felonies, and under North Carolina's Structured Sentencing Act, codified at N.C.G.S. § 15A-1340.17, a conviction on either count carries a mandatory active prison sentence ranging from 44 to 182 months — roughly 3.5 to 15 years — per count, depending on a defendant's prior criminal history.
A conviction for second-degree forcible rape would also carry consequences well beyond prison time. State law requires mandatory registration on the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry, which imposes long-term public disclosure and residential restrictions after release, according to the Olsinski Law Firm. Separately, under N.C.G.S. § 14-27.22(c), anyone convicted of second-degree forcible rape forfeits all legal rights to custody, inheritance, or parental standing regarding any child conceived during the offense.
A Department in Transition, a County Above the State Average
The arrest lands as the Greenville Police Department heads into a leadership change: Deputy Chief Kolenya “K.Z.” Thomas is set to become Chief of Police on September 1, a shift Hoodline reported on this week. That same report also covered a separate Pitt County case involving a 20-year-old woman accused of swinging a bat during a fight and refusing officers' orders.
Violent crime has been a persistent concern in the county. A North Carolina Department of Public Safety profile found Pitt County recorded 643 violent crimes in 2023, translating to a rate of 381 per 100,000 residents — well above the statewide average of 312 per 100,000.
Key details remain unresolved as the case proceeds, including the victim's identity and condition and the precise timeline of events leading up to Lewis's arrest. Formal charges and any plea will play out in Pitt County court following his scheduled appearance.
