Crips gang member sentenced
Dwight Daniel Hinton, a 34-year-old high-ranking member of the Crips gang in Raleigh, has been sentenced to 71 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. His sentencing follows a guilty plea on November 3, 2023, in connection with an illegal firearms trafficking operation spanning multiple states.
According to a federal press release, Hinton orchestrated a firearms trafficking network, illegally transporting weapons from North Carolina to New York. Using a straw purchaser, he obtained firearms from licensed dealers and resold them illegally across state lines.
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A federal investigation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) uncovered the operation, with a confidential informant purchasing three firearms from Hinton. Among these weapons was an AR-15 rifle outfitted with a high-capacity magazine and a brass catcher, which had the potential to be converted into a machine gun.
While incarcerated, he was recorded discussing a $20,000 murder-for-hire plot proposed by another gang member. Additionally, after pleading guilty and while awaiting sentencing, he was involved in multiple violent incidents at the Pamlico Correctional Institution and the Pitt County Detention Center.
He assaulted fellow inmates on separate occasions and was later found in possession of a homemade “shank” weapon.
With eight prior felony convictions, Hinton’s criminal record includes charges of firearm possession as a felon, breaking, robbery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, and common law robbery.
