Jury Finds Ahoskie Armed Career Criminal Guilty (DOJ)

WILMINGTON, N.C. - A federal jury convicted an Ahoskie man on charges of that he illegally possessed a firearm as a convicted felon.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Anton Montes Vernon, 31, had a 9mm pistol in his jeans pocket on the evening of November 9, 2023, in Ahoskie. As part of the Down East Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, officers conducted saturation patrols in high crime areas in communities in Northampton, Hertford, Gates, and Bertie Counties. Ahoskie, with a population of 4,891, is in Hertford County. During one of these saturation patrols, Ahoskie police saw Vernon and some other folks standing outside a vehicle parked at an intersection. When officers approached the group, they smelled the odor of marijuana. They frisked the individuals for a safety check. They found a loaded 9mm pistol in Vernon's pocket. North Carolina State prosecutors previously convicted Vernon of three separate breaking and entering offenses which qualified Vernon as an Armed Career Criminal under federal sentencing guidelines.

"Armed Career Criminals like Vernon have an outsized impact on small communities in Eastern North Carolina, like Ahoskie." said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. "When Big Shark Bad Boys like Vernon carry illegal guns, they pose a risk to the entire community. My office and our great law enforcement partners will ensure that these career criminal felons cannot threaten our neighborhoods and loved ones all across the District. We will convict them at trial and keep working to make every North Carolinian feel safe."

"The blatant disregard a career criminal has for law and order poses a serious threat to public safety," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. "Our job is to put a stop to their cycle of crime and violence, and we'll continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities from repeat offenders."

Vernon faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison when sentenced.

Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the verdict. The Ahoskie Police Department, the Down East Drug Task Force, and the ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jaren Kelly and Phil Aubart tried the case.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North CarolinaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. or on PACERLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. by searching for Case No.2:25-CR-4-M.