Five previously convicted felons were sentenced to prison on Mar. 24 for illegal possession of firearms, according to U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. The cases are part of the ongoing efforts under Operation Take Back America, which aims to identify and prosecute repeat offenders who violate federal firearms laws.
The sentencing highlights the federal government’s focus on removing individuals with prior felony convictions from the streets when they illegally possess firearms. Authorities say this approach is intended to reduce violence in communities and hold offenders accountable.
“Those who continually engage in crime using firearms are going to find themselves in the federal system,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “It is illegal for felons to possess a firearm, and my office uses that statute to remove repeat offenders from the streets and reduce violence in our community.”
Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), said, “ATF collaborates with our law enforcement partners to identify those that blatantly ignore our laws and threaten our communities. We are proud to be part of a focused effort on stopping gun violence and removing these dangerous individuals from our streets.” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Estella D. Patterson added, “Addressing violent crime requires every partner at the table, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is committed to working side‑by‑side with our federal counterparts to keep our communities safe… These cases show what strong collaboration can accomplish, identifying the drivers of violence, removing illegal firearms from our streets and holding those who break the law fully accountable.”
The five defendants pleaded guilty before sentencing: Timothy Demetrius Williams received 70 months; Luther Joseph Weathers was given 57 months; Damiyus Diamonte Fowler received 52 months plus an additional year due to a supervised release violation; Jamil Omire Ali was sentenced to 45 months; Dwayne Furlow Chaney received a sentence of 30 months.
All cases involved officers discovering loaded or stolen firearms during arrests or traffic stops throughout Charlotte between August 2024 and February 2025.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked both ATF agents and Charlotte police for their work investigating these cases.
Operation Take Back America is described as a nationwide initiative utilizing resources from several Department of Justice programs including Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), focusing on combating violent crime.
