Grand Forks man sentenced to 42 months for illegal firearm possession
May 30—GRAND FORKS — A Grand Forks man was sentenced Wednesday, May 28, to 42 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon.
Raymond Lee Graham Jr., 38,
pleaded guilty to his sole felony charge in January.
Graham was
originally charged at the state level,
where he faced five charges for drug, weapon and similar crimes.
He was pulled over and fled from police, who found 1.2 pounds of marijuana, seven grams of marijuana coated in what appeared to be methamphetamine, empty baggies, fake urine and a box of 18 THC vape pens inside his vehicle, according to court documents.
Police found a firearm on Graham when he was apprehended.
The case, filed in June, 2024, was dismissed a month later after
Graham was indicted in federal court.
The federal charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon arose because he has a criminal background of attempted robbery, robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon, according to the indictment.
The crime has a maximum 15-year prison sentence, but Graham was ordered to serve three and a half years. The judge ordered he be placed at a facility that is the lowest security level, as close as possible to North Dakota, and that the facility offers treatment for substance abuse — including the 500-hour Residential Drug Abuse Treatment Program (RDAP).
The criminal judgment also said Graham should be allowed to participate in any education or vocational opportunities, as well as any mental health treatments deemed appropriate by the Bureau of Prisons.
After release from prison, Graham will be on supervised release for three years. Conditions of his release will include abstaining from alcohol and drug use, submitting to screening for substance use and allowing his property to be searched.
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