Tabor City man sentenced as habitual felon on gun charges

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A Columbus County man will spend at least a decade in prison after pleading guilty to gun charges as a felon.

Joshua Vereen, 32, entered a guilty plea to felon in possession of a firearm and admitted to being a habitual felon.

Vereen was charged during a narcotics investigation in 2019, called Operation Carnivore.

According to a news release, Vereen was caught on video holding a Glock handgun and had an extended magazine of ammunition.

The NC Department of Public Safety’s website shows Vereen’s criminal history dating back to 2008. His previous convictions include kidnapping, robbery, larceny, assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill inflicting serious injury.

Columbus County Superior Court Judge Tiffany Powers sentenced Vereen to minimum of nearly ten years in prison to a maximum of nearly 13 years in prison.