Raleigh Man Sentenced to 12+ Years After Violent Assault In New Bern Ave. Shopping Center

RALEIGH, NC – Jeremiah Jermaine Debnam, a 30-year-old resident of Raleigh, has been sentenced to 154 months in federal prison following his conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentencing comes after Debnam shot and pistol-whipped a victim during a confrontation in a shopping center parking lot.

Debnam, who pled guilty on October 28, 2024, was apprehended after a violent altercation on July 5, 2023. Officers from the Raleigh Police Department responded to reports of a shooting on New Bern Avenue in a shopping center parking lot, where they found the victim suffering from two gunshot wounds. The victim identified Debnam, known by the street name “Oosie,” as the assailant.

“Raleigh is one of the safest large cities in America, and we aim to keep it that way,” stated U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “We have a team of prosecutors dedicated to driving down gun violence in this city, working closely with law enforcement to keep violent offenders off our streets and engaging with community groups to support victims.”

Court documents revealed that the altercation began as a verbal dispute before escalating when Debnam struck the victim multiple times with a firearm and then fired at him. Debnam fled the scene, but a confidential informant alerted law enforcement the following day to his whereabouts.

When officers attempted a traffic stop on New Bern Avenue, Debnam fled on foot, discarding a loaded, stolen 9mm pistol during the chase. He was apprehended, and a search revealed a small amount of fentanyl and, later, crack cocaine on his person. A forensic analysis confirmed that the firearm matched shell casings from the shooting scene, and Debnam’s DNA was found on the weapon.

At the time of the incident, Debnam was on supervised release from a 2018 federal conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (crack). He had been released from federal prison on January 18, 2023, and was arrested again in March 2023 for drug possession charges, including counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

Debnam’s criminal history, dating back to 2010, includes multiple felony convictions for drug offenses, assaults, larcenies, and firearm possession.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Raleigh Police Department conducted the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuting the case.

Court documents related to the case can be found on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina’s website or on PACER by searching for case numbers 5:23-CR-00259-FL and 5:18-CR-49-3FL.