Prosecutors: Man had gun during parole officer's visit

A Raleigh man received a 3-year prison sentence Thursday after prosecutors said a parole officer found him carrying a gun during an unannounced visit last February.

Demetrius Monquette Joyner, 23, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. His prison term will be followed by three years of supervised release.

"Often probation officers face uncertainty when performing their duties, as seen in this case," U.S. Attorney George E.B. Holding said in a release. "Many times the tasks they perform are underappreciated as they deal with individuals who have been convicted of violent crimes and continue to break the law."

Joyner was released on parole in November 2008 after serving four years for a conviction for attempted assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or inflict serious injury, according to state Department of Correction records.

On Feb. 18, 2009, his parole officer made an unannounced visit, and Joyner came to the door with a loaded gun stuck in the waistband of his pants, prosecutors said. He obeyed orders to drop the gun and was arrested.

DOC records show that Joyner's parole was revoked after the incident, and he spent nine months in prison.