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A Mount Gilead man was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Greensboro for knowingly possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for distribution of fentanyl, announced Acting United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina.

Jarbarri Randale Wall, 39, was sentenced to a 204-month term of imprisonment by United States District Judge Catherine C. Eagles.

Wall was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment and submit to five years of supervised release following his imprisonment. He was also revoked on his current term of supervised release and sentenced to serve a consecutive sentence of 24 months. Wall pleaded guilty on May 10 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and distribution of 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers conducted a controlled purchase of fentanyl from Wall using a confidential informant in October 2019. Wall traveled to Albemarle where he sold the informant 56 grams of fentanyl and gave the informant a sample of heroin.

In September 2020, Wall told the informant he was traveling to Albemarle and could sell the informant more fentanyl. The informant alerted law enforcement who conducted a traffic stop as Wall drove through Stanly County towards Albemarle, after leaving a residence in Charlotte.

A search of Wall’s car revealed marijuana, drug paraphernalia, a bag containing 30 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, and a FN Herstal 5.7 caliber semi-automatic pistol. The firearm had a 20-round magazine attached and was loaded with 18 rounds. A spare 20-round magazine loaded with 19 rounds was also found inside the car. Wall had $5,320 in cash on him when arrested and admitted to possessing the firearm and narcotics.

Wall had previously been convicted of Social Security fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina in January 2016 and was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. Wall was still on federal supervised release when he committed these new offenses.

A search warrant later executed at the Charlotte residence maintained by Wall revealed two additional AR-15 style firearms, 61 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, approximately 900 pills which contained a mixture of both heroin and fentanyl, several firearm magazines including two drum magazines, different calibers of ammunition, 54 grams of marijuana, and a large amount of U.S. currency.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Albemarle Police Department, the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office and North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig M. Principe.