NEW BERN — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - North Carolina, Eastern), published as received.

NEW BERN - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court today, United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced CECIL VANN GILBERT, 31,of Greenville, North Carolina, to 188 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for three counts of distribution of cocaine and one count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and aiding and abetting.  GILBERT previously pled guilty to these charges on October 16, 2014.   

Between May 14, 2014, and May 27, 2014, the Greenville Regional Drug Task Force used an informant to buy cocaine from GILBERT on four occasions.  On July 2, 2014, officers planned to arrest GILBERT.  Officers attempted to stop a car in which GILBERT was riding; however, the driver, Alex Stancil, refused to stop and drove at a high rate of speed on and around Kristin Drive in Greenville.  An officer deployed “stop strips” which deflated the car’s tires and the car wrecked into a tree.  GILBERT and the driver, Alex Stancil, were arrested.  Officers found 13.88 grams of cocaine and .33 grams of marijuana in the car.

GILBERT received an enhanced punishment as a career offender based on his two prior state convictions for discharging a weapon into occupied property. 

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Greenville Regional Drug Task Force.  The Greenville Regional Drug task force is comprised of officers from the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville Police Department, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations, Farmville Police Department, East Carolina University Police Department and the Winterville Police Department.  The federal prosecution was handled by Special Assistant United States Attorney Glenn Perry.  Mr. Perry is a prosecutor with the Pitt County District Attorney’s Office.  Pitt County District Attorney Kimberly Robb has assigned Mr. Perry to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force criminal matters.  Mr. Perry’s assignment to the United States Attorney’s Office has been made possible by grants funded by the Governor’s Crime Commission.