Wilmington man sentenced to at least four years in prison for firearm, drug offenses

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man has been sentenced to prison for drug and firearm charges.

Chris Weaver, 40, pled guilty on Thursday in New Hanover County Superior to one count of possession of firearm by felon, one count of possession of weapon of mass destruction, and one count of possession of methamphetamine.

Weaver was sentenced by Judge Bob Cherry to a total minimum of four years (48 months) and a total maximum of more than seven years (86 months) in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.

On November 15, 2022, a probation search was conducted at the Weaver’s home on Vance Street in Wilmington. During the search of the bedroom closet officials found a rifle with a modified barrel that made the firearm only 17 inches in length. Weaver was also prohibited from possessing firearms based on multiple prior felony convictions including a prior offense for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

While on pretrial release for the aforementioned offense, Weaver was stopped by law enforcement for an expired registration near the intersection of 7th and Wooster Streets in Wilmington while driving a Toyota Sienna. After observing an open container of alcohol in the vehicle, officers performed a search of it and found 0.48 grams of methamphetamine in the vehicle’s front cup holder.

“Prohibited possessors of firearms, such as this defendant, present a great danger to our community, but that danger is heightened even further when the weapon in question has been illegally modified like we saw in this case,” Assistant District Attorney Brad Matthews said.