Public Safety

The suspect in a 2019 shooting and a string of other crimes across three counties will serve more than 17 years in federal prison. Maurice Isaac Hemingway was found guilty in federal court of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm by a felon. He will serve 204 months in prison, with eight years of supervised probation on his release. The sentencing on July...

Whiteville Police arrested a man after a vehicle chase and foot pursuit Monday. Brandon William Hammonds, 41, was held under $10,000 secured bond on charges of possession of methamphetamine, hit and run, driving while license revoked, resisting an officer, and paraphernalia possession. His address was listed in court documents as 3456 Pleasant Plains Church Road, Whiteville. Hammonds allegedly fled a traffic stop in downtown Whiteville and crashed into...

The N.C. State Crime Lab had 1,466 CODIS hits in the past fiscal year, breaking the previous record of 1,382 hits in fiscal year 2023. The State Crime Lab analyzes evidence and uploads DNA to CODIS, the system of local, state, and national criminal justice DNA databases. A hit occurs when the DNA sample matches that of a person with a previous conviction or arrest already in the CODIS system or when...