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A Wilmington man was sentenced July 13, 2022 to 164 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and interference with commerce by robbery and aiding and abetting, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina. Frank Anthony Capuano pleaded guilty to the charges on October 5, 2021.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, on June 4, 2019, officers with the Wilmington Police Department responded to an armed robbery at a residence located in Wilmington and the investigation revealed that Capuano and another individual committed the robbery, during which marijuana vape pens were stolen.

“Detectives also learned Capuano was distributing methamphetamine in New Hanover County and southeastern North Carolina and law enforcement conducted several controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Capuano,” stated the release. “On September 17, 2019, Capuano was arrested, and a search warrant was executed at his house where officers located more than four-thousand dollars ($4,000.00). The investigation revealed that Capuano is responsible for distributing 460 grams of methamphetamine between March 2019 and September 2019 in southeastern North Carolina.”

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Wilmington Police Department, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office and the Pender County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany and Special Assistant United States Attorney William Van Trigt prosecuted.

“This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime,” stated the release. “Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.”

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