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A Wilmington man has been sentenced to 196 months after being was found guilty by a federal jury for illegal possession of a firearm, which ballistics showed was used in a shooting two months earlier. Desmond Antonio Hines, also known as “Head,” 35, was sentenced for gun and drug charges and considered a career offender based on prior convictions for drug trafficking and assault, including a prior federal drug conviction, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Eastern District of North Carolina.

“Neighbors called 911 when they saw Hines ditch his loaded Glock .40 in a patch of the azaleas as he tried to dodge police.  Ballistics traced the gun to a recent shootout that left a popular area rapper dead,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Michael F. Easley Jr.  “A celebration of life for the rapper was shot up weeks later, leaving two men, a teen, and a 6-year-old boy shot. Hines was just a small part the escalating patterns of crime and violence claiming far too many lives. But neighbors have had enough. And when neighbors start talking, the shooting starts stopping.”

According to court records and evidence presented in court, on November 7, 2020, Wilmington police stopped Hines for traffic violations. “Upon approaching the car, the officer noticed an odor of marijuana and asked Hines to step out of the vehicle to conduct a search,” stated the release. “A blunt and marijuana were found in the car and, during the search of Hines, the officer felt what he believed to be a metal object between the defendant’s legs. While the officer attempted to secure Hines in handcuffs, he tried to flee but was tackled by the officer. A subsequent search of Hines conducted at the police station uncovered a bag containing ten oxycodone pills and about 17 grams of crack cocaine.”

On March 31, 2022, detectives attempted to arrest Hines on federal charges related to the November 7 incident. “Officers surveilled him driving a new Chrysler minivan. During surveillance, officers lost sight of Hines after he made a series of evasive maneuvers. After officers located Hines and placed him into custody, 911 dispatch reported a call from area residents who saw a man matching Hines’ description and driving a minivan stop the vehicle, walk to a patch of azalea bushes, and toss something into the bushes before driving off,” the release continued. “Upon pulling back the bushes, witnesses saw a firearm. When police responded to the scene, which was approximately half a mile from where Hines was arrested, they recovered a semi-automatic Glock 27 Gen 4 .40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine containing 20 live rounds of ammunition.  Ten of those rounds were a distinctive, red-tipped round known as Hornady Critical Defense. When executing a search warrant at the defendant’s residence, detectives found a box of the same ammunition, with ten rounds missing. Later, testing of the firearm confirmed that Hines’ DNA was present. Ballistics traced the gun to the scene of a shootout two months earlier that left a man dead.”

Easley made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Wilmington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case and Easley and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel prosecuted.

“The conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP), a collaborative effort of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies working with the community to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, interagency coordination, and intelligence-led policing,” stated the release.

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