LUMBERTON — U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced a Lumberton man Friday to 16 years in prison for possessing firearms as a convicted felon.

Michael Hucks pled guilty to the charges on June 9, according to an announcement by G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, from December of 2019 until January of 2020, law enforcement conducted an investigation into illegal firearm and drug trafficking occurring at 55 Van Born Drive in Lumberton. The address was a known drug house where armed drug dealers sold significant quantities of crack cocaine. In addition, multiple shootings were reported in and around the residence.

On Dec.12, 2019, a confidential informant purchased a loaded AR-15 style rifle from Hucks and another target of the investigation. Less than a week later, on Dec. 18, 2019, a confidential informant purchased another rifle from Hucks.

Prior to Dec. 12, 2019, Hucks had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses and was prohibited from possessing firearms. In fact, Hucks was previously convicted of three violent felony offenses and determined to be an Armed Career Criminal at his sentencing hearing.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Lumberton Police Department; and Robeson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Rhoades prosecuted the case.