Gevon Marquise King, Selling Stolen Firearms, North Carolina 2020

Gevon Marquise King, 35, Sentenced to 144 Months for Selling Stolen Firearms in North Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In a significant blow to firearms trafficking, Gevon Marquise King and Michael Dwane Williams, both residents of Hickory, North Carolina, were sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their roles in the sale of stolen firearms. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell handed down the sentences on November 2020.

King, 35, received a 144-month prison sentence, followed by three years of supervised release. Williams, 22, was given a 72-month prison term and two years under court supervision.

The investigation, led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, revealed that King and Williams engaged in the unlawful sale of numerous firearms between November 2019 and July 2020. Court records showed that Williams was responsible for several vehicle break-ins in Burke County, from which firearms were stolen. King conspired with Williams to sell the stolen firearms, which included a short barrel rifle, a machine gun, a semi-automatic shotgun, several semi-automatic rifles, and several handguns.

The defendants pleaded guilty to dealing in firearms without a license. King also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon, and Williams pleaded guilty to possession and sale of stolen firearm.

Acting U.S. Attorney William T. Stetzer commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their thorough investigation and thanked the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Hickory Police Department, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office for their invaluable assistance.

The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. King is currently in federal custody, while Williams has been released on bond and will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In a statement, Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer emphasized the significance of the sentencing, saying, 'This case highlights the importance of holding accountable those who engage in the illicit sale of firearms.'

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc/pr/two-men-are-sentenced-prison-selling-stolen-firearms