Five previously convicted felons were sentenced to prison on Mar. 24 for illegal possession of firearms, according to U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. The sentences are part of ongoing efforts under Operation Take Back America, which aims to identify and prosecute repeat offenders who violate federal firearms laws.
The initiative seeks to reduce violence in the community by removing individuals with prior felony convictions found in possession of firearms from the streets. “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 all pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before being sentenced:
– Timothy Demetrius Williams received 70 months in prison after officers found him with a stolen loaded Glock pistol during an August 2024 incident.
– Luther Joseph Weathers was given 57 months after being found asleep with a loaded Taurus Magnum .357 revolver; he has previous robbery convictions.
– Damiyus Diamonte Fowler received 52 months plus an additional year for violating supervised release when officers discovered him fleeing after finding an extended magazine Glock during a traffic stop.
– Jamil Omire Ali was sentenced to 45 months following his arrest while carrying a loaded Smith & Wesson pistol; he had outstanding warrants at his arrest.
– Dwayne Furlow Chaney got 30 months after being apprehended with narcotics and a stolen Smith & Wesson MP40 pistol at Charlotte’s Transit Center.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked both ATF agents and local police for their work investigating these cases, noting that prosecutions were handled by his office in Charlotte.
Operation Take Back America brings together resources from multiple Department of Justice initiatives including Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) as part of broader efforts against violent crime.
