18-year-old Jose Ramirez-Barreto of Newton was given an active prison term of five to seven years following his conviction for discharging a weapon into an occupied building, possession of a firearm by a felon and attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon during Catawba County Superior Court on Tuesday (December 4).

The Honorable Gregory R. Hayes, Superior Court Judge from Catawba County, imposed the sentence for Ramirez-Barreto. The defendant will serve his prison term in custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections.

On January 5, 2018, Ramirez-Barreto, along with others, went to the home of an acquaintance after a disagreement with him. The defendant fired several shots. One of them went into the home that was occupied by two people at the time.

The defendant went to a Maiden residence on March 7, 2018, with several other individuals to make a drug transaction. While there, he pulled a handgun on an occupant of the home and demanded cash. When it was discovered the gun was not loaded, Ramirez-Barreto was forced out of the house. Once outside, the defendant fired a round from the gun.

Ramirez-Barreto had a prior felony conviction for common law robbery. Taylor Stout of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office and Ethan Hoke of Newton Police Department investigated the cases. Assistant District Attorney Melanie Earles handled prosecution for the State.