A Greensboro man was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to firearms charges connected to two shootings and drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston announced in a news release.
Lajauren Damitri Wimbush, 36, was indicted in February 2022 for two separate incidents in the Middle District of North Carolina: one involving possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one in which he was charged with three counts of illegal firearm and/or ammunition possession by a felon, officials said in the news release.
According to court records, in September 2020, Surry County Sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant on a residence in Mount Airy, where they encountered Wimbush and confiscated multiple bags of suspected methamphetamine from his vehicle. During his arrest, Wimbush claimed ownership of the contents of the bags, which were later confirmed by the State Crime Lab to contain quantities of methamphetamine.
People are also reading…
Wimbush was also indicted in another case on three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and/or ammunition stemming from two Greensboro shootings at the Four Seasons Mall on Dec. 21, 2021, and at Studio Motel 6 on Jan. 6, 2022. According to court documents, the Greensboro Police Department responded to reports of a shooting at the mall on the afternoon of Dec. 21 and located a victim who had been shot multiple times.
Mall security footage showed the exchange between the victim and shooter in the parking lot of the mall, and officers were able to locate additional footage tracing the shooter back to a motel room where Wimbush was staying at the time, according to the news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
On Jan. 6, 2022, a Greensboro police officer responded to reports of an aggravated assault at the same motel and located a victim who had been shot multiple times and beaten by Wimbush, authorities said. Surveillance footage from the motel confirmed the victim’s account of events and showed Wimbush shooting at and attacking the victim, officials said in the news release.
At the time of both shootings, Wimbush was a previously convicted felon and was aware that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Wimbush is facing additional charges in these cases in state court.
Wimbush pleaded guilty on Nov. 10, 2022, in a combined plea agreement to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm.
