Latest news with #RussFerguson
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Convicted felon sentenced to prison for using ghost gun in UNC Charlotte carjacking
A convicted felon, who made a ghost gun used it to carjack someone at UNC Charlotte, was sentenced on Tuesday to seven years in prison, said Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. PAST COVERAGE: Student carjacked at gunpoint at UNC Charlotte, man arrested, car returned officials say Mark Jordan Williams, 37, approached someone in a Jeep Wrangler on March 23, 2023, on the UNC Charlotte campus and forced them out at gunpoint. Williams took the victim's phone and stole the Jeep. He was arrested later that evening while inside the Jeep. He had a .40 caliber Polymer 80 ghost gun inside the Jeep, as well. Williams was not supposed to have a gun because of his criminal history. Ghost guns, which are privately made and unregistered, are illegal. On Jan. 9, Williams pleaded guilty to possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He is in federal custody and will have three years of supervised release after he gets out of prison. VIDEO: Police on the hunt for man who carjacked victim at gas pump in Huntersville
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Charlotte man sentenced to 10 years for threatening postal workers
A 39-year-old Charlotte man was sentenced to prison after assaulting two U.S. Postal Service mail carriers in 2023 because he thought a worker stole an item from his package, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. PAST COVERAGE: Charlotte man accused of attacking postal workers On June 1, 2023, Dujuan Marquise McNeil used his vehicle to block a mail truck and use his guns to threaten a postal worker was inside, prosecutors said. On that same day, McNeil went to a local post office to complain about the alleged theft and clerks there said he would kill the carrier responsible for it. Detectives learned McNeil had multiple prior criminal convictions, including possession of a firearm by a felon, discharge of a weapon into occupied property, and domestic violence protective order violation, and was prohibited from possessing firearms. On June 14, 2023, federal agents seized multiple firearms from McNeil's home while executing a search warrant. They found: Three 9mm semi-automatic pistols, one with an extended magazine A Polymer 80 9mm semi-automatic pistol (ghost gun) with an extended magazine An AR-15 semi-automatic rifle Ammunition magazines and nearly 300 rounds. On Oct. 30, 2024, McNeil pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 'My office will continue to aggressively prosecute those that threaten or harm our postal workers,' said Ferguson in a news release. 'Postal workers are hard-working Americans that are vital to our way of life and essential to our system of commerce.' On Tuesday, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. VIDEO: Charlotte postal workers robbed in crime spree that started in Greensboro, police say
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Ransacking our streets': New U.S. Attorney outlines priorities in western North Carolina
Russ Ferguson was sworn in earlier this year as the new U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, and Channel 9's Hunter Sáenz spoke with him one-on-one about what his office is prioritizing in the near future. Ferguson will lead about 100 federal prosecutors, and among the top crimes they'll be focused on are gangs, drugs, and child sexual abuse material. RELATED >> Russ Ferguson named as US Attorney For Ferguson, he's also defending his home turf. 'I was born in Presbyterian Hospital right down here, grew up in Charlotte, went to Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools,' Ferguson told Sáenz. He's arguably at the pinnacle of his career after being appointed by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. He said he remembers the call from her office. 'I was sitting in court and my phone was buzzing and buzzing ... it was some of the Justice Department saying the order has been signed by the Attorney General, when can you start?' Ferguson recalled. The former federal prosecutor was sworn in back in March, and he says he's going after crimes that keep families up at night. 'It's the gang activity, the cartels, the shootings into homes --which is largely connected to gangs-- the fentanyl and drugs that are ransacking our streets, and the predators that go after our children,' Ferguson said. Under Ferguson's leadership, his prosecutors have already put three gang members affiliated with MS-13 in prison for decades. But he says gangs full of juveniles are a problem here, too. 'We're not seeing the gangs grow exponentially by the day, because they're recruiting youth and taking direction from other countries, and that is much, much harder to enforce,' Ferguson said. We don't know the specific numbers when it comes to gangs, but one of the growing concerns his office will take on is AI child sexual abuse material. 'Every case we have had has had AI images along with real images, so it's the same perpetrators using AI that are using the images of real children,' Ferguson said. We reported back in April when a Charlotte-based CEO, Daniel Broadway, was convicted of having more than 30,000 AI-generated photos and videos of child sexual abuse material, as well as thousands of real photos and videos, too. 'Imagine being that victim walking into a grocery store knowing that anybody in there could have seen that photo of you,' Ferguson said. 'That is a life-changing thing that we have got to stop.' Right now, his office is using the obscenity law to go after those AI cases. Meanwhile, Ferguson says his prosecutors are still wrapping up COVID-19 fraud cases, some topping millions of dollars. They're already working on fraud cases after Hurricane Helene. (VIDEO >> Only on 9: District attorney says lack of resources delays justice in Charlotte)
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Attorney General Jeff Jackson holds ceremony to honor fallen officers
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCT) — Tuesday, May 6, 2025, Attorney General Jeff Jackson and the North Carolina Justice Academy honored North Carolina's fallen officers and their families at the 40th Peace Officers' Memorial Day Ceremony. This is an annual ceremony that pays tribute to officers who died in the line of duty last year as well as the family members of officers who died in service in previous years. 'These officers gave their life in service to this state and its people,' Attorney General Jeff Jackson said. 'I'm grateful to be able to have spent time with their families and their colleagues today to honor our fallen officers and to express our gratitude for the courage and sacrifice of every public safety officer. I thank the North Carolina Justice Academy and the Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office for hosting this moving memorial.' Russ Ferguson, United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, was the guest speaker for this year's ceremony. Ferguson was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi in March 2025, and served as the chief federal law enforcement officer for 32 counties across western N.C., including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. 'It is a privilege to spend time today doing publicly what we in law enforcement do every day – honor our fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives to protect others,' U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, Russ Ferguson said. 'We are so thankful for our brave law enforcement officers and their families for the risks they endure on a daily basis to protect our community.' The officers who died in service to the people of North Carolina last year were: Deputy Christopher Shayne Johnson, Harnett County Sheriff's Office. Investigator William Alden Elliott, North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. Officer Joshua Eyer, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Investigator Samuel Poloche, North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas M. Weeks, U.S. Marshals Service. Major Michelle Lynn Quintero, Madison County Sheriff's Office. Deputy Charles James 'Jim' Lau, Macon County Sheriff's Office. Officer Michael Horan, Greensboro Police Department. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
Wilmington man accused of going across state to rape toddler, sentenced for child porn: DOJ
CHARLOTTE, N.C. () — A Wilmington man has been sentenced in Charlotte to over 12 years for the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), according to United States Attorney Russ Ferguson, who represents the Western District of North Carolina. According to court documents, 35-year-old Joseph Lee Barnes of Wilmington, N.C., was in an encrypted chatroom known for exchanging CSAM and talking about the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. In February 2024, Barnes shared three CSAM files and an undercover agent monitoring the chatroom saw this. The undercover agent started talking one-on-one with Barnes. In that conversation, the agent claimed to be an adult with access to a child. Barnes reportedly said he would be interested in illegal sexual acts with the child and arranged a time to meet the undercover agent in order for this type of abuse to take place. Officials say Barnes told the undercover agent that he had previously sexually abused children in the United States and abroad. Barnes kept in contact with the agent and sent additional CSAM. On March 14, 2024, Barnes traveled from Wilmington to the Western District of North Carolina to rape the child. The Western NC District includes 32 counties, mostly between Alleghany, Cherokee and Mecklenburg counties. Deputies use robot to de-escalate situation in Rowan County Barnes was arrested at the meeting spot and his phone and tablet were seized. Both devices reportedly had child pornography on them. The same day, Homeland Security Investigations agents in Wilmington searched Barnes' apartment with a warrant, seizing several other devices and two external hard drives. Officials say Barnes had an 'extensive library of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse ofchildren.' On October 30, 2024, Barnes pleaded guilty to the distribution of child pornography. On Tuesday, April 15, he was sentenced to 12 years and 7 months. Once he is released from prison, Barnes must register as a sex offender and will be on supervised release for the rest of his life. In addition, Barnes was ordered to pay $89,000 in restitution. This case was part of , a nationwide effort to address the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. The United States Marshals Service Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Waynesville Police Department helped Homeland Security Investigations in this investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
