NEW BERN, N.C. – A Holly Ridge man who sliced a witness’ throat and stabbed a child, was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment followed by 60 months of supervised release for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon and Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Avery Ray Brinson, age 29, pled guilty to the charges on March 24, 2023. Brinson is a convicted felon and has three or more prior convictions for violent felonies making him subject to the penalties of the Armed Career Criminal Act.
According to court documents and other information presented in court Brinson was investigated by the Holly Ridge Police Department in May and July 2021 for firearm related offenses. On May 30, 2021, Brinson was at a friend’s house and learned the friend kept a firearm in his living room. Brinson stole the firearm and left the house. When the friend discovered his firearm was missing, he watched the surveillance video from his home security system and saw Brinson steal the firearm. The following day he confronted Brinson about the theft. Brinson denied knowing anything about the missing firearm until the victim told Brinson about the home security footage capturing the theft. Brinson then acknowledged he stole the firearm and returned it. The friend did not call law enforcement, thinking the matter had been handled.
The next day, June 1, 2021, Brinson broke into the friend’s house and stole multiple items, including a different firearm. Brinson disabled the home security system by cutting the power to the entire residence. The investigation revealed that after Brinson stole the firearm, law enforcement was approached by a man who said Brinson ran into his house and stashed something under the master bed. Law enforcement went to the residence and retrieved a .308 Savage Rifle from under the bed. The friend and victim of the breaking and entering confirmed it was his firearm.
The female resident of the home where Brinson stashed the gun gave a statement implicating Brinson to law enforcement on July 21, 2021, about the breaking and entering and the firearm being found in her home. On June 22, 2021, Brinson went to the female’s house and attacked her, slicing her throat and stabbing her multiple times. When a juvenile, who was also at the house, tried to protect the female resident, he was stabbed seven times. Both underwent immediate medical attention and survived the attack.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing was concluded. U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan presided over the sentencing. The Holly Ridge Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charity Wilson and William Van Trigt prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22- CR-21-FL
