Rocky Mount man sentenced for illegal firearm possession, chase with child, puppy in vehicle

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – A Rocky Mount man was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison for possessing a short-barreled rifle that was not marked with a serial number. On September 26, 2023, Chi-Ali Bunn pled guilty to the charge.

“This defendant fled police in a high-speed chase exceeding 111 miles per hour with guns, drugs, and a kid in the car,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “A short-barreled rifle and high-capacity drum magazine have no place around a child, especially in a car traveling at speeds over a hundred miles an hour.  We will keep up our partnership with local law enforcement to get illegal guns out of dangerous hands like Bunn’s.”

“We appreciate the collaboration and partnerships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and dedicated law enforcement,” said Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone. “Dedicated law enforcement and prosecutors make safe communities.”

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Bunn, 29, approached a Nash County Sheriff’s Office license check station in January 2023. Bunn, a felon, then turned around to avoid the station and deputies pursued. When a deputy activated his blue lights, Bunn fled, reaching speeds of up to 111 miles per hour. During the pursuit, Bunn ran multiple stop signs, traveled on the wrong side of the road, weaved in and out of traffic, and narrowly avoided colliding with other motorists, including a law enforcement vehicle. The pursuit continued into Zebulon where deputies with the Wake County Sheriff’s Office successfully deployed stop sticks, which flattened two tires of the suspect’s vehicle. Unknown to law enforcement at the time, Bunn’s young child and a small puppy were in the car during the chase. After the car was stopped, deputies searched the vehicle and found a loaded 9mm handgun capable of accepting a large capacity magazine; a .223 caliber rifle with a barrel length of 7.5 inches; a loaded drum magazine; a pill bottle containing eight Oxycodone pills; a cut straw containing cocaine residue; and a digital scale.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Nash and Wake County Sheriff’s Offices, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Aubart prosecuted the case.

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