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Antonio Rashon Quarles, 33, of Oriental in Pamlico County, was sentenced Wednesday, February 23, 2022 to 63 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina. Quarles pleaded guilty to the single-count indictment on March 9, 2021.

According to court records and statements made during hearings, in November 2019, Quarles was on North Carolina state probation with curfew and electronic monitoring following a series of felony convictions. Probation officers received a tip on November 2, 2019 that Quarles had been distributing drugs and had a firearm. According to the release, probation officers reviewed GPS data from Quarles’ electronic monitoring device and saw that he had violated his curfew and entered high-crime areas that he had previously been directed to avoid.

“On the morning of November 3, 2019, state probation officers, with assistance from Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office, conducted a search of Quarles’ residence in Oriental, North Carolina—a condition of his probation agreement,” stated the release. “Inside Quarles bedroom, deputies located a Star .25 caliber, semiautomatic pistol. It was loaded with eight rounds and the serial number was partially scratched off.”

The release also stated that Quarles’ federal prosecution followed 14 prior state felony convictions, including common law robbery, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, being a felon in possession of a firearm and multiple larceny convictions.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.

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