Kinston Police: Federal sentencing handed down for defendants in recent criminal cases
The Kinston Police Department, along with partnering local municipal law enforcement agencies, North Carolina SBI, ATF, USDOJ, our local District Attorney Office and the United States Attorney’s Office continue to work together to combat violent crime in Kinston. Over the past month, several defendants from cases that took place within our jurisdiction have been sentenced through the Federal system. One of our main goals at the Kinston Police Department is to build partnerships to reduce crime in our community.
On January 26, 2020, Officers with the Kinston Police Department arrested Christopher Williams, 34, of Kinston, N.C. for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Assault by Pointing a Firearm. Based on the criminal history of Williams, this case was moved to federal court. In September 2021, Williams pled guilty in Federal Court and was sentenced to a term of 54 months imprisonment followed by 48 months of supervised probation.
Over the course of several months spanning 2018-2019, members of the Kinston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) with assistance from Goldsboro Police Department, conducted an operation that led to the arrest of Dylan Harper, 25, of Deep Run, N.C. During the course of the investigation methamphetamine was seized from Harper and he was placed into federal custody for the crimes. In September 2021, Harper pled guilty in Federal Court and was sentenced to 132 months for his involvement in the criminal enterprise.
During the summer of 2020, members of the Kinston Police Department conducted an investigation into the illegal possession of Firearms and the Distribution of Narcotics from a residence on Williams St. in Kinston, N.C. During the course of the investigation Reginald Williams, 29 of Kinston, was identified as a suspect in the case. At the conclusion of the investigation Williams was arrested for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and in September 2021, Williams pled guilty in Federal Court and was sentenced to 84 months in prison.
July 24th, 2019, members of the Kinston Police Department Narcotics Unit concluded a 4 month drug investigation with the arrest of John Rhodes, 40 of Kinston, N.C. Investigators were able to locate Rhodes as he traveled from Brooklyn, NY to Kinston, NC near the intersection of E. Caswell St. and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Kinston, NC. During that time, investigators attempted to make contact with Rhodes and after a brief foot chase Rhodes was apprehended without further incident.
A search of his flight path and search incident to arrest yielded the following:
46 grams – Crack Cocaine
23 grams – Cocaine
25 grams – Meth
50 bags – Heroin
½ lb – Marijuana
Rhodes was later charged federally for his involvement in drug trafficking crimes and on September 29th, 2021, he pled guilty in federal court and was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison.
On 07/16/2020, members the Kinston Police Department executed a search warrant at on the 100 block of S. McDaniels Street. This search warrant was executed due to the suspect and owner of the home, Curtis Best, 70 of Kinston, selling narcotics out of the home. Upon execution of the search warrant detectives located marijuana, cocaine, two firearms and multiple items of drug paraphernalia. The suspect was arrested and charged federally for the violations. On 09/29/21, Best pled guilty in federal court and was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison with an additional 4 years of probation upon his release.
The Kinston Police Department will continue to utilize Department’s Narcotics Unit, Criminal Intelligence Unit, and Criminal Investigations Division, partnered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms to target the community’s violent crime and repeat offenders in order to eradicate the criminal element from our community. We place the highest priority on investigating crimes of violence perpetrated in our city. We will investigate such cases with no compromise for crime, and continue to seek assistance from the community we proudly serve.
If anyone has information about illegal activities within our City, please call the Kinston Police Department’s Tips Line at 252-939-4020 or Lenoir County Crime Stoppers at 252-523-4444. Calls to Crime Stoppers are confidential and anonymous, and the caller may be eligible for a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest.
