Convicted Felon Sentenced To More Than Five Years For Illegal Possession Of A Firearm

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Marcus Terrell Halsey, 36, of Charlotte, was sentenced yesterday to 63 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Halsey's sentence was enhanced for reckless flight from police officers and possession of a stolen vehicle in connection with the gun offense.

Bennie Mims, 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), join U.S. Attorney King in making today's announcement.

According to documents filed with the court and the sentencing hearing, on May 15, 2023, a detective with CMPD's Stolen Car and Recovery Law Enforcement Team (SCARLET) viewed an Instagram video where Halsey appeared on a live feed standing outside a tire shop in the area with an orange Dodge Charger. CMPD detectives determined that based on the tag displayed on the Dodge Charger the vehicle may have been stolen. Also, during the live video, Halsey got into the Dodge Charger and lifted up his shirt, revealing a firearm in his waistband. Based on the fictitious tag, the presence of the firearm, and Halsey's criminal history, CMPD officers were dispatched to the tire shop.

According to court records, CMPD officers encountered Halsey as he drove away from the tire shop in the Dodge Charger and attempted to make a traffic stop. Halsey did not stop and instead recklessly fled at a high rate of speed, traveling over 80 mph in a 35 mph zone. Court records show that CMPD's aviation unit followed Halsey to Charlotte Douglas International Airport and located the Dodge Charger in a parking deck at the airport. Halsey was apprehended shortly thereafter near the arrivals area at the airport. At the time of his arrest, Halsey was carrying a black backpack that contained a firearm and ammunition, multiple Dodge vehicle fobs, two fictitious 30-day vehicle tags, a screwdriver and hammer, a digital scale, and suspected controlled substances. The Dodge Charger was determined to be stolen. Halsey has prior criminal convictions and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

On February 9, 2024, Halsey pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Halsey will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending designation of a federal facility by the Federal Burau of Prisons.

In making todays' announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and commended CMPD's SCARLET unit for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Bozin 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.