GREENSBORO, N.C. – Shymetrus Datre Steele, age 27, of Mount Gilead, North Carolina, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He pleaded guilty to the charges on April 7, 2026.According to court records, Steele was on probation for attempted trafficking cocaine and possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance. During a probation visit, Steele ran from North Carolina Probation and Parole Officers while holding narcotics and a handgun. Dan Bishop, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, made the announcement.The case was investigated by Probation and Parole with the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, the Troy Police Department, the Mount Gilead Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant United States Attorney Mary Ann Courtney for the Middle District of North Carolina prosecuted the case.Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe.
PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.###