Public safety initiative leads to over 100 arrests in the Piedmont Triad area

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A three-month public safety surge operation targeting violent crime and trafficking networks within the Piedmont Triad has resulted in 104 arrests, the seizure of 163 firearms, 102 machinegun conversion devices, and more than 37 kilograms of illegal narcotics. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led the intelligence driven effort, called Operation Piedmont Pipeline, in partnership with state and local law enforcement agencies from across the Piedmont Triad region.

"Public safety surge initiatives bring together federal, state and local law enforcement partners to identify violent offenders, disrupt illegal firearms activity and help protect neighborhoods," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. "The key component here is shared intelligence. State and local partners have incredible input on prevalent crime issues within the Piedmont area. Combining their information with the federal resources and intelligence allows us to more effectively identify the individuals and networks responsible for local violent crime."

"Our prosecutors thank and commend our state and federal partners, especially ATF," said Dan Bishop, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of N.C. "We are pleased to have moved these cases rapidly to indictment. The tangible symbols of these seizures bespeak an important message to other persons who illegally possess or traffic in guns and drugs in the 24 counties of the Middle District of North Carolina: we will add you to the pile."

Operation Piedmont Pipeline launched in June, focused on High Point, Greensboro, Winston-Salem and surrounding areas with high densities of violent crime, firearms trafficking, and drug activity. ATF and partnering law enforcement agencies combined investigative resources, including crime-gun analysis and ballistics tracing, to identify narcotics and firearms traffickers and illegal possessors. The results of the three-month operation include:

• 75 criminal investigations, leading to criminal charges against 104 defendants
• 72 Federal defendants and 32 State defendants for firearms and narcotics offenses
• 229 ATF operations and 46 Federal and State search warrants
• 163 firearms and 102 machinegun conversion devices seized
• over 37 kg of illegal narcotics seized (cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl)

Partnering agencies include Greensboro Police Department, High Point Police Department, Winston-Salem Police Department, Asheboro Police Department, Forsyth County Sheriff's Office, Rockingham County Sheriff's Office, Randolph County Sheriff's Office, Caswell County Sheriff's Office, Alamance County Sheriff's Office, DEA and the N.C. State Bureau of Investigations.

"Combining federal investigative resources with the local knowledge and community connections that our police departments and sheriff's offices have available helps build a better strategy at taking down criminal networks," said Greensboro Police Chief Kamran Afzal. "Initiatives like this not only lead to significant arrests and charges, but also provide a sustainable plan to prevent violent crime."

"Violent crime doesn't stop at city limits or county lines, and our response can't either," said High Point Police Chief Curtis Cheeks III. "By working closely with federal partners and local agencies, we're ensuring we tackle violent crime at the source. This coordinated enforcement holds offenders accountable and helps protect the entire Piedmont Triad community."

###