At his arraignment Tuesday in Raleigh, Coles was found competent and advised of his rights and charges.
He entered a guilty plea on the first of the three counts lodged against him and the government has agreed to dismiss counts 2 and 3, a minute entry in the court records shows.
Count 1 says on or about July 8, Coles did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, a
firearm, in violation of United States Code.
The two counts which will be dismissed upon sentencing charged him with aiding and abetting another who made false and fictitious oral and written statements in his attempt to purchase a firearm from a pawn shop and that Coles made written deceptive statements on a federal firearms form.
District Court Judge Terrence W. Boyle set a sentencing date for the May 8 term at a location to be determined.
Boyle rejected a motion by Coles for his release from custody until sentencing. “After careful review of the defendant's Pretrial Service Report, the court can find no condition or combination of conditions for release,” the minute entry notes. “The defendant is ordered detained and remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal.”
Coles was arrested in Hopewell, Virginia, on December 8 after a federal warrant for his arrest was issued in early November.

"It shows that sharing information and working together on all levels, local, state and federal, can assist in putting violent criminals behind bars," Roanoke Rapids police Chief Chuck Hasty said this afternoon.

Hasty said in December when ATF agents approached Coles in Hopewell, he ran, and a struggle ensued to take him into custody. ATF agents also discovered Coles was in possession of another handgun following his arrest.
RRPD Investigator Chris Babb and the ATF investigated the pawn shop case which led to the federal indictments.