A federal judge has sentenced Brandon Tyler Buchanan, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, to 30 years in prison for second-degree murder. This announcement was made by Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr., also includes five years of supervised release following Buchanan's incarceration and an order to pay $888,500 in restitution to the estate of the victim, Kobe Toineeta.
The events leading to Buchanan's sentencing stem from a 911 call on November 11, 2022. Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD) officers responding to the call found Buchanan at the scene. Buchanan admitted to shooting someone, and authorities later found Toineeta’s body nearby with five gunshot wounds. A Smith & Wesson Model M&P .9mm handgun recovered from Buchanan's apartment was confirmed through laboratory testing to be the weapon used in the shooting.
Buchanan pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on May 31, 2024, and he has remained in federal custody since then. He is set to be transferred to the Federal Bureau of Prisons once a federal facility is designated.
The announcement was supported by Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Charlotte Division, and Chief Carla Neadeau of the CIPD, with appreciation extended by U.S. Attorney Ferguson to the FBI and CIPD for their role in the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Scott from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville.