A multi-state gun trafficker and validated Crips gang member, Jakil Deandre Bond, has been sentenced to a 141-month prison term for his role in illegal firearm trafficking and drug distribution activities. As reported on the U.S. Department of Justice’s website, Bond, aged 28 from Williamston, orchestrated firearm purchases using straw purchasers, in a scheme that transported guns from North Carolina to areas as far north as Washington D.C. In statement obtained by the Justice Department, U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. emphasized the government’s staunch opposition to such criminal enterprises declaring on the
Department of Justice
, “This gun trafficker formed an iron pipeline of firepower from North Carolina to Washington, D.C., where shootings fueled further gang violence.” He warned gun traffickers and straw purchasers, “you are on the pathway to federal prison.”
Involved in the conspiracy were Malik Jaree Bazemore and Ti’quiran Rodgers, both residents of North Carolina and also validated gang members. Having purchased firearms from federally licensed dealers under false pretenses, according to
Justice Department
information, they later transferred these firearms to Bond and other co-conspirators. Alarmingly, law enforcement’s keen eyes only observed after several firearms, initially sold in North Carolina, were found at crime scenes stretching from Maryland to Washington, D.C.
Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims of the ATF highlighted the critical issue of firearms trafficking and straw purchasing in a statement obtained by the Justice Department, recognizing the danger it presents by placing firearms in the hands of those prohibited from owning them. Mims stated that focusing resources on stopping these illegal activities is key to community safety. Launched by the ATF in September 2019, an investigation began after firearms linked to North Carolina purchases surfaced at crime scenes involving the D.C. Metro Police (MPD). This pursuit of justice revealed Bond’s central role in the purchasing scheme, eventually leading to his January 24, 2023 arrest, where agents found drugs and guns in his home.
Fellow conspirators Bazemore and Rodgers have received 24-month prison sentences for their contributions to the illegal dealings. On September 8, 2023, Bazemore was sentenced for dealing firearms without a license and making false statements to firearms dealers. Rodgers was handed his sentence yesterday, for engaging in the same illegal activities. Barron Nathaniel Shaw, another accomplice, also received a 48-month sentence on September 8, 2023. While serving an arrest warrant, the
Justice Department
reports that ATF agents discovered drugs including cocaine, cocaine base, and fentanyl, as well as firearms and assorted ammunition.
Federal and local law enforcement collaborated effectively, as Greenville Police Chief Ted Sauls stated obtained by the Justice Department, ensuring robust investigation and prosecution of crimes extending beyond their immediate jurisdiction. The cooperative effort spanned across the ATF, Greenville Police Department, Windsor Police Department, Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, and the MPD, leading to the successful dismantling of this particular pipeline of firearm trafficking. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonard Champaign prosecuted the case, with the announcement coming after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan’s official sentencing.
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