Concord man gets ten year federal prison sentence on drug and gun charges

CONCORD, N.C. (WBTV) - On February 22, 2023, a judge in federal district court sentenced Clyde Turaine Brand to 120 months in prison, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina.

On September 20, 2022, following a five-day trial, a jury found Brand, 38, guilty of three counts: felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Evidence at trial showed that on June 30, 2021, Brand possessed 2.55 grams of fentanyl, a rifle, and two stolen Smith & Wesson handguns at a residence in Concord, following the execution of a search warrant.

The fentanyl was recovered from a toilet. The rifle was found in the closet of an empty bedroom. The stolen handguns were found in a vehicle behind the residence.

United States District Chief Judge Thomas D. Schroeder sentenced Brand to a 120- month term of imprisonment and a 3-year term of federal supervised release. The case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Homeland Security.

According to the press release, the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig M. Principe and Special Assistant United States Attorney Mary Ann Courtney. 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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.”

On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.