RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA (BNO NEWS) – The former sheriff and the deputy of Carteret County, North Carolina pleaded guilty on Monday to charges related to the misuse of county drug funds, U.S. Attorney George Holding informed.

Former sheriff Ralph Thomas, 60, of Beaufort, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit an offense against the United States. Ex-deputy Christopher Cozart, 35, of Morehead, North Carolina, pleaded to misprision of a felony.

From 1997 to 2006, Thomas stole funds that were designated for controlled drug purchases to assist covert drug investigations. He usually took 25 to 50 percent of the money for his own personal use. Cozart, a drug detective, provided drug funds to Thomas, knowing that a portion would be embezzled and stolen in 2006. The stolen amount hasn’t been disclosed yet.

“The use of public funds for personal gain is a breach of the public’s trust and it is saddening to see public officials veer from an honest course,” declared Holding.

Thomas faces a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. On the other hand, Cozart faces a maximum incarceration of three years, followed by one year of supervised release and a maximum fine of $250,000.

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RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA (BNO NEWS) – A Lumberton, North Carolina woman was sentenced on Wednesday to 150 months in prison (over 12 years), followed by five years of supervised release for distributing crack cocaine in Robeson County, prosecutors announced on Fiday.

April Litisha Wynn, 28, was charged on November 16, 2009, with conspiring to distribute and possessing with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of cocaine base. She pleaded guilty the same day she was charged. She was previously convicted of cocaine dealing in July 2008.

Wynn was a significant distributor of crack cocaine in Robeson County. She was identified by various undisclosed witnesses and cooperative citizens. On June 11, 2009, Wynn sold over 120 grams in four separate purchases to men who were undercover agents performing controlled purchases of narcotics.

On August 19, 2009, Wynn was arrested and law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at her Lumberton residence. Officers seized 2 ounces of powder cocaine, 2 grams of crack cocaine, and a .22 caliber rifle.

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CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA (BNO NEWS) – NASA announced Wednesday that a North Carolina astronaut will be on their next space shuttle flight.

Tony Antonelli, who was raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, will make his second journey into orbit on space shuttle Atlantis’ next mission to the International Space Station. The STS-132 flight is targeted to launch May 14 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Atlantis’ STS-132 mission will deliver the Russian-built Mini Research Module, also known as Rassvet (which means “dawn” in Russian) to the space station. The flight will be carried out by six astronauts who will also deliver critical spare parts and cargo, during the 12-day mission.

Three spacewalks are planned to put the spare parts on the station, as STS-132 is the final scheduled flight of Atlantis. Following STS-132, two more shuttle flights remain scheduled.

Antonelli previously piloted the STS-119 mission in 2009, and he was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2000. He is a commander in the U.S. Navy, has a bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and earned a master’s in aeronautics and astronautics from the University of Washington. Antonelli has accumulated more than 3,200 hours in 41 different kinds of aircraft and has completed 273 carrier arrested landings. He is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School.

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RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA (BNO NEWS) – Spectrum Mills LLC will invest $27 million and create 49 jobs during the next three years in McDowell County, North Carolina, Governor Beverly Perdue announced on Monday.

The company will make textured and color polyester yarns for use in wholesale and retail applications, including sewing, needlework and piece goods. Its predecessor was Spectrum Dyeing and Finishing, which was bought by a private investor who plans to consolidate two facilities into one operation in Marion, McDowell County, and restart production. This project was made partially possible by a $135,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.

“North Carolina remains a top choice for companies seeking to create new jobs and enhance their successful operations. Our exceptional business climate, skilled workforce and training programs continue to attract businesses and investment to our state,” said Governor Perdue.

Spectrum Mills will give annual average wages of $33,286, not including benefits, for the new jobs available. This amount is above the McDowell County average annual wage of $27,768.

“North Carolina’s solid history of being a textile state, with higher education and research devoted to the textile industry, validated our decision to locate here. A high-quality workforce, competitive utility rates and friendly state and local governments were also critical factors that attracted us to the state of North Carolina,” said Chongchul Kim, president of Spectrum Mills LLC.

The One NC Fund has helped to create more than 40,000 jobs and $7 billion in investment since 2001. The fund provides financial assistance, through local governments, to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in North Carolina.

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RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA (BNO NEWS) – Albaad USA Inc., an international supplier of wet wipes for varied uses, will invest about $9 million and create 95 jobs as it expands its plant in Reidsville, Rockingham County, Governor Beverly Perdue announced on Wednesday.

Albaad USA is a subsidiary of Albaad Corporate, which is headquartered in Israel and has facilities in Germany, Israel and the United States. The company manufactures wet wipes for a variety of uses, including personal, home and automotive care.

The Rockingham County plant currently employs 200 workers and was recently awarded a contract to produce new infant wet wipe product. The plant, also known as AFG Wipes, plans to expand its production with the manufacturing of new wipes and its standard products.

The project will be possible thanks, in part, to a $350,000 grant by the One North Carolina Fund. Such fund provides financial assistance to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state.

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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA (BNO NEWS) – A North Carolina man was sentenced to federal prison for several armed bank robberies, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Ricardo Javier Arellano, 23, of Charlotte, North Carolina, committed armed bank robbery on several occasions, and forced accompaniment of a bank employee in one of the robberies

Arellano, on one occasion, invaded a First Citizens Bank employee’s home early morning, binding the hands and feet of the employee’s children with tape, threatening harm to the children if the bank employee did not cooperate. He then forced the bank employee to drive her car to the bank before it opened for business and threatened a second bank employee with a gun upon her arrival at work to gain access to the bank’s vault.

Arellano pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 408 months in federal prison on Wednesday. He was also sentenced to three months’ supervised release, a $400 special assessment and restitution in the amount of $49,467.

Arellano’s cousin, Johnny Enrique Arroba, previously had been sentenced to 114 months’ imprisonment on February 3, 2010, for his role in two of the armed bank robberies.

Federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.

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RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA (BNO NEWS) – North Carolina will receive more than $91 million from the Department of Education through the School Improvements Grant (SIG) program to turn around the persistently lowest achieving schools, Governor Beverly Perdue announced on Wednesday.

“Our goal of preparing every student, no matter where he or she lives, to graduate from high school ready for a career, college or technical training demands that we turn around our low-performing schools. Without good schools, we cannot prepare all our students for the global economy of the 21st century,” Governor Perdue stated.

The SIG program intends to improve student achievement in schools identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring so as to enable those schools to make adequate yearly progress and exit improvement status.

The program has increased its school improvement funds in order to have the potential to support implementation of the fundamental changes needed to turn around some of the Nation’s lowest-achieving schools.

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RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA (BNO NEWS) – A Parkton, North Carolina man was sentenced to 32 years (384 months) in federal prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for weapons charges related with armed robberies of a Dollar General and First Citizens Bank, prosecutors said on Wednesday.

William Lee Green II, 45, pleaded guilty to two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. On September 9, 2008, Green entered the Dollar General Store in Hope Mills, North Carolina, and pointed a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol at the store’s clerk. Green robbed money and fled on a bicycle.

Days later, on September 17, Green executed the same criminal action at the First citizens Bank in Fayetteville. He fled with $1,369 in cash. The following day, he was arrested after he robbed the Family Dollar Store. Green attempted to flee by car, but he was unable to start the vehicle and tried to obtain another one by force.

In his third attempt he obtained a vehicle by force and engaged in a high-speed chase that ended when Green struck a Cumberland County Sheriff’s patrol.

In his sentencing, Green was also imposed to pay $1,494 in restitution to the victims of his offenses.

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RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA (BNO NEWS) – A Greenville, North Carolina man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a mail fraud charge and agreed to pay $55,020 in restitution, prosecutors informed.

Timothy Ray Stocks, 43, submitted invoices to Pitt County for work he never performed from January 2004 to June 2005. He claimed to have done the repair of dumpsters, welding and cleaning. Stocks submitted the fraudulent invoices along a Pitt County official, splitting the profits.

Stocks faces a maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. His sentence is scheduled on July 19.

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RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA (BNO NEWS) – A Maxton, North Carolina man was sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in federal prison for distributing cocaine and marijuana, prosecutors announced on Wednesday.

Jonathon Ray Quick, 29, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, 50 grams or more of crack cocaine and less than 50 kilograms of marijuana.

Quick was arrested on March 3, 2009, at his Maxton residence, following a series of controlled buys conducted by law enforcement agents. After his detention, a consent search was made; agents found 11.6 grams of powder cocaine, 918 grams of marijuana, rifles and handguns.

The operation entitled “Matador”, led by the Organized Crime Enforcement Drug Task Force, revealed that Quick was involved in the distribution of more than 200 kilograms of cocaine. Quick was part of a drug trafficking organization which operated in southeastern North Carolina. The drugs sold by this organization were manufactured outside the U.S. and transported to North Carolina via Georgia and Alabama.

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