Six Sentenced for Robberies of Hotels & Pawn Shop

RALEIGH - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that MARVIN ANTHONY BLANGO, 20, of Vanceboro, CLIFFORD EARL HORTON, III, 20, of Bayboro, ANTONIO RAY STEVENS, 24, of New Bern, DEMARCUS DEON DRIGGERS, 21, of Raleigh and DIQUAN ANTOINE BELL, 20, of Bayboro were each sentenced resulting from their earlier guilty pleas to robbery and firearms charges. The charges involved a string of robberies of hotels and a robbery of a federal firearm licensee in December 2012. The businesses victimized were the Best Western Riverside Inn and Suites and Hampton Inn in New Bern; the Hilton Garden Inn in Raleigh; and the Glenburnie Coin & Pawns in New Bern.

On November 19, 2013, BLANGO pled guilty to the theft of firearms from federal firearms licensee and aiding and abetting, interference with commerce by threats or violence and aiding and abetting, and using or carrying a firearm during a crime of violence and aiding and abetting. On May 21, 2014, BLANGO was sentenced to 162 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of 2 supervised release and was ordered to pay $5,981.86 in restitution. On September 30, 2013, HORTON and STEVENS pled guilty to theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee and aiding and abetting, interference with commerce by threats or violence and aiding and abetting, and using or carrying a firearm during a crime of violence and aiding and abetting. On January 17, 2014, HORTON and STEVENS were sentenced for these offenses. HORTON was sentenced to 171 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $5,981.96 in restitution. STEVENS was sentenced to 180 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $5,840.86 in restitution. On September 30, 2013, DRIGGERS pled guilty to the interference with commerce by threats or violence and aiding and abetting, and to using or carrying a firearm during a crime of violence and aiding and abetting. On January 17, 2014, DRIGGERS was sentenced to 126 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $141.00 in restitution. On September 30, 2013, BELL pled guilty to the interference with commerce by threats or violence and aiding and abetting. On January 17, 2014, BELL was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $141.00 in restitution.3

This case was part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative which encourages federal, state, and local agencies to cooperate in a unified "team effort" against gun crime, targeting repeat offenders who continually plague their communities.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New Bern Police Department, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, the Raleigh Police Department, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.