Cortez Desean IRELAND, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, North Carolina 2025

A chilling incident in Winston-Salem left law enforcement shaken, and on May 6, 2025, 24-year-old Cortez Desean IRELAND pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).

The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, Dan Bishop, announced the sentencing, which took place on June 17, 2025, in the United States District Court for the MDNC.

IRELAND was sentenced to 165 months' imprisonment plus 3 years of post-release supervision by the Honorable Thomas D. Schroeder, United States District Judge.

This wasn't IRELAND's first run-in with the law; at the time of the incident, he was on federal post-release supervision for a prior felon in possession of a firearm conviction. As a result, he was additionally sentenced to 24 months' imprisonment to run consecutive to the other sentence.

The incident occurred on June 25, 2024, when officers with the Winston-Salem Police Department were called to a domestic disturbance with a report of shots fired. A woman reported that her ex-boyfriend IRELAND had pointed a gun at her and her cousin, demanded their cellphones, and then discharged a single shot into the wall over the women's heads.

IRELAND left the apartment shortly after and the women called police. WSPD officers responded and began searching the area. As Officer-1 approached the apartment complex, she observed IRELAND and another man walking down the street and observed that IRELAND had a gun in his right hand.

As Officer-2 began to slow down and put his patrol car in park, IRELAND fired at him, shattering the back driver's side window. Officer-2 exited his vehicle and returned fire. IRELAND and the other man fled, but IRELAND was found a few minutes later, less than half a mile away. When officers frisked IRELAND for weapons, they found a Taurus 9mm in his front pants pocket loaded with 10 live rounds.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdnc/pr/man-sentenced-189-months-after-firing-law-enforcement-winston-salem