Convicted Felon Is Sentenced To Prison For Illegal Possession Of A Firearm

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Ashanti Joyner Jackson, 26, Charlotte, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release 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 court documents and today's sentencing hearing, on July 2, 2022, CMPD officers observed a vehicle that had been reported stolen drive into a Quick Trip gas station in Charlotte. CMPD officers arrived at the gas station and apprehended Jackson, who had been driving the vehicle, as he was walking out of the store. CMPD officers approached the parked vehicle and observed a firearm on the driver seat in plain view. The officers conducted a search of the vehicle and discovered that the firearm was a semi-automatic pistol, which was loaded with one round in the chamber and a magazine containing 12 rounds. In addition, CMPD officers found several baggies containing narcotics and a digital scale. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that Jackson has prior convictions for, among other offenses, Common Law Robbery, Larceny of a Motor Vehicle, and Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. Accordingly, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

On April 12, 2023, Jackson pleaded guilty to 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.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Kenney and Regina Pack 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.