Edin Anael Solis-Rodriguez, Gun Possession By An Illegal Alien, North Carolina 2022

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In a shocking turn of events, Edin Anael Solis-Rodriguez, a 23-year-old Honduran national residing in Charlotte, was sentenced to 15 years in prison late yesterday, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of two firearms by an illegal alien, 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 records and court proceedings, on August 28, 2020, CMPD officers responded to a call for service at a restaurant located on South Boulevard in Charlotte. Officers were told that restaurant employees had observed a male customer with a firearm in the back of his pants. CMPD officers found the customer, Solis-Rodriguez, at the bar and confirmed that he had a loaded firearm.

On November 14, 2021, CMPD officers were dispatched to the Taco Bar restaurant, located at 6400 Old Pineville Road in Charlotte, in reference to a shooting. When CMPD officers arrived at the scene, they observed a male victim on the ground that had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that Solis-Rodriguez shot the victim. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Solis-Rodriguez’s residence and found the firearm that Solis-Rodriguez used to shoot the victim.

On June 7, 2022, Solis-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. Solis-Rodriguez has a prior criminal history for illegally entering the United States and he is not permitted to possess firearms or ammunition.

Solis-Rodriguez is currently in 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 ATF and CMPD for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Spaugh, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.

The defendant, Edin Anael Solis-Rodriguez, is a Honduran national with a prior criminal history for illegally entering the United States. He was charged with possession of two firearms by an illegal alien, a serious offense that carries significant penalties.

The case serves as a reminder of the importance of enforcing our nation’s laws and protecting our communities from individuals who seek to harm them.

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