BRYSON CITY – U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced several defendants on Wednesday, Aug. 21. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
Phillip Jacquell Williams, 22, of Greenville, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison for pleading guilty to statutory rape. According to court records, in Feburary 2012 in Swain County, Williams, a non-Indian, engaged and attempted to engage in a sexual act with a female under the age of 16 who is an EBCI tribal member. Judge Reidinger also ordered Williams to serve 10 years of supervised release following his prison term. The defendant has been in federal custody since June 2012. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Gast of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville.
David Ernest Hornbuckle, 59, of Cherokee, was sentenced to serve 158 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Hornbuckle, an EBCI tribal member, pleaded guilty on Sept. 12, 2012 to one count of aggravated sexual abuse. According to court records, from in or about January 2011 to June 2012 in Jackson County, Hornbuckle knowingly engaged and attempted to engage in sexual contact with a minor female under the age of 12. He has been in custody since August 2012. The case was prosecuted by Gast and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John Smith.
Galanvdi Wadokanah Crowe, 25, of Cherokee, was sentenced to serve 90 months in prison followed by three years under court supervision. According to court documents, in July 2011, Crowe, an EBCI tribal member, and others robbed several hotels in Cherokee. He pleaded guilty to robbery charges in May 2012. Crowe has been in custody since March 2012. The case was prosecuted by Gast.
Richard Daniel Bird II, 38, of Cherokee, was sentenced to 87 months in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court records, on or about April 2011, Bird, an EBCI tribal member, possessed a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol. Bird’s prior convictions prohibit him from carrying a firearm. He pleaded guilty to the charge in May 2012 and has been in federal custody since 2012. The case was prosecuted by Gast.
– DOJ
