Charlotte Man Is Sentenced To More Than Six Years For Possession Of A Firearm By A Felon

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Damarious Sims, 24, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 76 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on each of two counts for possession of a firearm by a felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

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 in the case and court proceedings, on August 13, 2022, CMPD officers responded to a call for assistance at East 4th Street and South Brevard Street for gunshots fired in the area. A second call for service came regarding a shooting incident near the Omni Hotel in uptown, where a victim, later identified as Sims, had been shot and sustained an injury. The officers located Sims on the ground in front of the hotel with a gunshot wound in his lower left calf. Officers rendered Sims medical assistance and he was transported to the hospital. During the ensuing investigation, law enforcement determined that Sims had been approached by two males looking to buy marijuana. The deal was a ruse and a female, later identified as Princess Houghton, and her brother planned to assault Sims during the deal. Sims drew a pistol with an extended magazine when he detected the threat. Houghton drew her own pistol with an extended magazine and shot Sims before fleeing the scene. During the investigation, CMPD recovered the guns used by Sims and Houghton. They were each arrested on local charges.

While out on bond from his local charges, on November 30, 2022, Sims got into an altercation with a passerby near the Omni Hotel in uptown. Sims had another loaded pistol and threatened to use it on the passerby. CMPD responded and confronted Sims who fled on foot. After a brief chase, CMPD took Sims into custody and recovered the loaded firearm.

On April 26, 2023, Sims pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. On Tuesday, June 25, 2024, Houghton was sentenced to eight years in prison.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Kent 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.