RALEIGH, N.C. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - North Carolina, Eastern), published as received.
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced today to 114 months in prison for illegally possessing firearms, intending to distribute a myriad of narcotics, and possessing firearms to further his drug trafficking.
According to court documents, Laequan Chrishawn Sellers, 23, was named in a three-count Indictment filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina on November 20, 2019. Count 1 charged Possession With Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Marijuana, Cocaine, Cocaine Base (Crack), and Heroin in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1); count 2 charged Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and 924; and count 3 charged Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
On May 24, 2019, the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by Sellers. When the officer approached Sellers’ vehicle, an odor of marijuana was detected coming from inside his vehicle. When the officer directed Sellers to place his vehicle in park, Sellers fled from the traffic stop and struck the officer’s left leg with his vehicle, which knocked the officer to the ground. The officer was not seriously injured and was able to limp back to his patrol vehicle and call for assistance. Shortly thereafter, additional officers responded and searched for Sellers.
Officers subsequently located Sellers, who was driving his vehicle recklessly, at a high rate of speed. Sellers ultimately crashed his vehicle into a residential lawn, exited his vehicle with a backpack, and fled on foot. He was apprehended a short distance later. A loaded 9mm pistol, $34,803 in U.S. currency and 0.3 gram of cocaine were located inside Sellers' backpack. Officers also seized 1.36 grams of marijuana, 8.57 grams of crack cocaine, 1.91 grams of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, and a digital scale from Sellers’ person and/or vehicle.
On July 26, 2019, the RPD attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle occupied by Sellers. The driver refused to stop the vehicle and fled from law enforcement, resulting in a vehicle pursuit. After a short pursuit, the vehicle came to a stop in a business parking lot and Sellers fled from the vehicle on foot, but was apprehended a short distance later. At the time of Sellers’ arrest, he possessed $1,555 in U.S. currency. Officers seized 66 bindles of suspected heroin4, 5.72 grams of marijuana, and $191 in U.S. currency from the vehicle.
Based on the preceding, a search warrant was obtained for the residence where Sellers was living. The RPD recovered $14,075 in U.S. currency, a loaded .22 caliber rifle, a loaded AR 5.56mm rifle with a drum magazine, a loaded .45 caliber handgun, a loaded .9mm handgun with an extended magazine, an SKS 7.62mm rifle, 3.68 grams of marijuana, 39.68 grams of heroin and fentanyl mixture, 31.61 grams of cocaine, and two digital scales.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Raleigh Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel W. Smith prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00463-D.
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