Jeremiah Jermaine Debnam, a 30-year-old resident of Raleigh, North Carolina, has been sentenced to 154 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentencing follows an incident where Debnam shot and pistol-whipped a victim in a shopping center parking lot. He pled guilty on October 28, 2024.
"Raleigh is one of the safest large cities in America and we aim to keep it that way," stated U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. "We have a team of prosecutors dedicated to driving down gun violence in this city, meeting consistently with law enforcement to keep violent shooters off our streets and engaging with community groups to get resources for victims."
The events unfolded on July 5, 2023, when officers from the Raleigh Police Department responded to reports of a shooting at New Bern Avenue's shopping center parking lot. They found the victim with two gunshot wounds who identified his attacker as "Oosie," later confirmed as Debnam.
It was revealed that Debnam had engaged in an argument with the victim before assaulting him with a firearm and subsequently shooting him twice. Afterward, he fled the scene. Officers collected shell casings from the location during their investigation.
On July 6, 2023, information from a confidential source led law enforcement to stop a vehicle on New Bern Avenue where Debnam was present. As officers approached, Debnam fled on foot and discarded a gun during his escape attempt but was soon apprehended. A stolen loaded 9mm pistol was later recovered nearby.
Further investigation revealed less than one gram of fentanyl concealed on Debnam at his arrest and additional crack cocaine found during processing at Wake County Detention Center.
Forensic analysis linked both the seized firearm and shell casings from the crime scene as fired from the same weapon. A federal search warrant confirmed Debnam's DNA on both the firearm and its magazine.
Debnam had prior felony convictions and was under supervised release after being convicted federally in 2018 for conspiracy related to cocaine base distribution among other charges. His criminal history includes drug offenses, assaults, larcenies, and illegal possession of firearms dating back to 2010.
U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan delivered the sentence following announcements by U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley Jr., supported by investigations conducted by ATF and Raleigh Police Department; Assistant U.S Attorney Jennifer C Nucci prosecuted this case.