Department of Justice

RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that United States District Judge James C. Dever, III, sentenced MARK ANTHONY CRUDUP, 27, of Henderson to 192 months’ imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised released.

On April 15, 2019, CRUDUP, pled guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana. On October 29, 2015, CRUDUP, a convicted felon, was located at a residence in Henderson where a search was executed and was found in possession of a loaded 9mm pistol.

In an unrelated incident, on September 15, 2018, the Henderson Police Department (HPD) attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by CRUDUP who fled from the officer at speeds of 60 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone. While fleeing, CRUDUP tossed a large bag containing approximately 474 grams of marijuana from the vehicle. Then CRUDUP jumped and ran from the vehicle on foot while holding a firearm with an extended magazine.  The pursing HPD officer gave chase and caught up with CRUDUPand a struggle ensued during which he bit the officer’s arm. Throughout the struggle, CRUDUP remained armed with the loaded firearm and when he and the officer fell to the ground, CRUDUP’S firearm was pointed at the officer. CRUDUP also pulled at the officer’s duty belt. Additional officers arrived and officers placed CRUDUP into custody at which point they found heroin laced with fentanyl in his pocket. The firearm was loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition and had been reported stolen.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Since 2017 the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case is also part of the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violence crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Henderson Police Department, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, and the Oxford Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case for the government.