Special to IFN
A Mooresville man was sentenced to more than nine years in federal prison on Thursday for illegally possessing a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced Charod Terron Terry, 35, to 110 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced the sentence in a news release.
According to court documents and evidence presented in the sentencing hearing, Iredell County Sheriff’s Office deputies were conducting a vehicle check when they observed a car attempting to evade the checkpoint on July 14, 2022.
Law enforcement proceeded to conduct a traffic stop of the vehicle. During the stop, law enforcement asked Terry, who was a passenger, to exit the vehicle. As Terry exited the vehicle, the deputies observed part of a firearm hidden inside a bag that was tucked between the passenger seat and the passenger door of the vehicle.
Law enforcement retrieved from the bag a firearm, as well as trafficking quantities of fentanyl and cocaine base, according to the testimony. During the investigation, law enforcement determined the firearm belonged to Terry.
Testimony also showed that Terry had dealt cocaine base to undercover officers on eight different occasions in 2021. Court records show that Terry is a felon with prior convictions for drug possession, and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
During the sentencing hearing, Terry received an enhanced sentence for his use of a firearm in connection with drug trafficking.
On February 2, 2024, Terry pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, and the Statesville Police Department for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.