A Charlotte man, Michael Anthony Cornwell, 30, was sentenced to 106 months in prison and two years of supervised release for firearms offenses. The announcement was made by Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, with support from Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).
According to court records and proceedings, Cornwell was arrested on September 13, 2022, by CMPD officers on an outstanding warrant. During a search at his residence, law enforcement found multiple rounds of ammunition in various calibers, a .40 caliber drum magazine, several rifle magazines, a gun sight, digital scales, and marijuana intended for distribution. Officers also seized a loaded .40 caliber Glock semi-automatic pistol from Cornwell’s vehicle. As a convicted felon with prior felony convictions, Cornwell is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Cornwell pleaded guilty on January 10, 2025 to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He remains in federal custody and will be transferred to the Bureau of Prisons after designation to a federal facility.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson expressed appreciation for the work conducted by ATF and CMPD during the investigation.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice that focuses resources on combating illegal immigration and eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime through programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
