RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A Raleigh man will spend over 15 years behind bars for illegal gun possession.

Donald Melvin, 52, was sentenced as an “armed career criminal” on Monday after two prior federal convictions, according to Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Melvin plead guilty on March 9 to the charge of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Melvin’s 188 months in prison are to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan ruled.

The two prior federal convictions stem from January 2022 he was found guilty of drug trafficking and breaking and entering.

According to court documents, Melvin was living at an apartment in Raleigh on Jan. 6, 2022, when Raleigh police tried to serve him with an outstanding arrest warrant.

Melvin initially lied about his identity at the time, but police were able to confirm his identity and took him into custody after he tried to run away.

Police found that Melvin was carrying a loaded 9mm gun at the time, and a search of his apartment revealed “four additional firearms, ammunition and a variety of narcotics.” The drugs included heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, and Phencyclidine. The firearms included a 9mm with an extended magazine, two 12-gauge shotguns and .243 caliber rifle, Easley said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated Melvin’s case alongside the Raleigh Police Department.