A Raleigh man known on the street as “X Suave” has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after authorities say he was caught dealing crack cocaine twice in 2025, once fleeing police in a car and once on camera near downtown. Joseph Tyre Cumberlander, 31, a Bloods gang member and convicted felon, will also serve six years of supervised release once his prison term ends.
A Chase, a Window, and 35 Grams of Crack
According to CBS17.com, Cumberlander was arrested twice by Raleigh police over roughly four months in 2025, both times in the Bragg Street area. The first encounter came on Jan. 12, 2025, in the 500 block of Bragg Street, where officers say Cumberlander sped off in his car as they approached, triggering a chase, according to WCTI12. Authorities say he threw about 35 grams of crack cocaine from the vehicle during the pursuit before he was caught; officers later recovered $882 in cash and a digital scale from the car, per the same station's reporting.
Months later, on May 22, 2025, Raleigh police monitoring a video camera near Mangum and Bragg streets say they watched Cumberlander make several hand-to-hand drug transactions, per WCTI12's account. Officers reported seeing him hide a small bag under a water bottle before he was taken into custody. CBS17 reports that he dropped 0.83 grams of crack cocaine as officers moved in, while officers recovered another 1.69 grams from under the water bottle and found an additional 8.72 grams hidden inside a nearby fence post.
Jury Trial or Guilty Plea — Accounts Differ
The two outlets covering the case give different accounts of how Cumberlander's federal case concluded. CBS17 reports he was found guilty on two counts of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine following a jury trial this summer, while WCTI12 reports he pleaded guilty in federal court on June 23, 2026, to possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. Either way, the outcome was the same: a federal judge handed down a 25-year prison sentence, a figure also cited by the U.S. Department of Justice in its announcement of the sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle, who referred to Cumberlander as a “crack dealing gang banger,” did not mince words about the case. “This criminal made a career as a scourge to Raleigh, peddling poison in the streets with impunity,” Boyle said, according to CBS17's reporting. Federal officials noted Cumberlander's extensive criminal history includes prior convictions for possessing stolen firearms, firing a gun within city limits, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessing cocaine and marijuana with intent to sell.
Where He'll Serve His Time
The U.S. District Court recommended that Cumberlander be placed at the Butner Federal Correctional Institution, located just northeast of Durham. The court also recommended he receive the most intensive drug treatment available, along with vocational training and educational opportunities including welding, plus a medical evaluation and treatment while incarcerated, CBS17 reported. The ATF and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case, according to WCTI12.
Part of a Broader Pattern in Federal Crack Cases
Another Raleigh Drug Case A Raleigh dealer identified as Chung received a 27-year federal prison sentence after the U.S. Department of Justice said he delivered crack cocaine to a man in Cary who later died from an overdose, and that his roommate also later died from an overdose. Cumberlander had gang ties and an extensive prior criminal record.
