Charlotte Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Possession of Stolen Firearm

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, May 12, 2021 Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office Western District of North

Reggie Pettus, 25, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to nine years in prison and three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon, announced William T. Stetzer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

The Defendant Shot His Firearm near the Epicenter

Vincent C. Pallozzi, 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 join Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer in making today’s announcement.

According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, in the early morning hours on September 18, 2019, Pettus approached a victim, identified in court documents as “MDS,” in front of the Epicenter in Charlotte, and took the victim’s gold chain from around his neck. At the time of the robbery, Pettus was in possession of a KelTec .380 caliber handgun. Law enforcement later determined the firearm had been stolen in Broward County, Florida. As described in court documents, MDS chased Pettus in an attempt to retrieve his necklace. Following a brief fight with the victim, Pettus brandished the stolen firearm and ran away.  According to court documents, sometime soon thereafter, the victim saw Pettus on the street and shouted at him. Pettus fired three shots at the victim using the stolen firearm and then ran into the Epicenter garage. CMPD officers responding to the incident arrested Pettus after the victim saw Pettus again walking near the Epicenter and identified him as the person who had stolen his necklace.

Pettus is currently in 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, Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation of this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Savage, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Topic(s): 
Firearms Offenses
Component(s): 
USAO - North Carolina, Western