A Fayetteville gang member has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised probation, on gun charges, according to the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Desmond Edwards, 21 pleaded guilty on Nov. 15 to possession of a stolen firearm and ammunition, a news release said.

According to investigators, on May 1, 2018, Fayetteville police pulled Edwards over during a traffic stop. He was driving a vehicle suspected of being involved in a crash that was reported earlier, according to the statement.

The officer made contact with Edwards on the driver’s side of the vehicle and could smell marijuana coming from the vehicle, the statement said. A police dog was deployed and alerted officers to the presence of contraband, the statement said.

During a search of the vehicle, the officer found a loaded .25 caliber handgun under the driver’s seat and .25 caliber ammunition in the rear pocket of the passenger’s seat, according to the release.

Edwards later admitted to possessing the firearm and ammunition and that he had reason to believe the firearm and ammunition were stolen, the release states. He is a member of the Nine-Trey Bloods street gang, according to the release.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.

Staff writer Melody Brown-Peyton can be reached at mbrownpeyton@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3568.

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