GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — A Greenville man was arrested Wednesday and charged with possession of a stolen firearm.
The arrest of Ja’Quan Whitehurst, 18, stemmed from an investigation into a Feb. 27 traffic stop that happened after detectives with the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Unit and Gang and Gun Crimes Unit observed Whitehurst commit “multiple traffic violations.” The sheriff’s office said detectives found probable cause to search the vehicle and found a handgun concealed in Whitehurst’s waistline. They also found a small amount of marijuana in his possession.
Those items were seized, and detectives issued Whitehurst a citation for carrying a concealed gun and possession of less than a half-ounce of marijuana. He was released.
Detectives continued investigating the incident, and eventually found out that the firearm seized from Whitehurst was reported to the Greenville Police Department as stolen. They obtained a warrant for Whitehurst’s arrest for possession of a stolen firearm.
Whitehurst was arrested Wednesday and taken before a magistrate who issued him a $25,000 secured bond. He was released from custody after posting bail.
