Whited now faces federal gun charges
Once a free man after being acquitted on charges he robbed two local stores last year, former serial robber Daniel Whited now faces two federal firearm counts that could cost him 20 years in prison.
Whited, 46, entered not guilty pleas Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Y. Powers in federal court to two counts of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He remains in federal custody.
Whited was charged with the federal trigger lock violations after being found not guilty earlier this year for a pair of robberies in 2002. Prosecutors maintained it was Whited who robbed Pit Stop North and Pump n’ Pay Market, producing two witnesses who identified him as the robber.
In contrast, the defense presented an alibi for one of the robberies as Whited’s girlfriend testified he was helping her paint a cabin on Harrison Ferry Mountain at the time of the heist. The jury acquitted Whited.
However, the jury’s verdict came without the knowledge Whited had been convicted of 11 robberies in Florida, all of which occurred in a brief crime spree. The defense maintained Whited was collared for the local crimes due to his past record and the fact he drove a vehicle fitting the description of the robber’s vehicle.
While acquitted on the robbery charges, testimony that placed a gun in Whited’s hands prior to the robbery sparked the interest of agents with the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).
In a statement released Thursday, the bureau spelled out its charges against Whited. They include allegations he was in possession of a .22 caliber rifle in September 2001 and that he was in possession of a .44 caliber rifle on April 26, 2002. The charges come after witnesses said Whited had been seen target shooting with a relative’s gun.
Federal law prohibits any possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Federal officials intend to prosecute him as a career criminal, meaning a conviction could net him up to 20 years in jail, or 10 years on each count. The crime also carries a maximum fine of a quarter million dollars on each count.