Drug trafficker armed with machinegun sentenced to prison (DOJ)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Jeremiah Dashaun Reed, of Charlotte, 25, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 81 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possessing a machinegun and using a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

According to court records and proceedings, on August 13, 2024, officers with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) saw Reed carrying a firearm. During a subsequent traffic stop for a traffic violation, the officers recovered a black, Glock handgun that had been converted into a machinegun by the installation of a machinegun conversion device, or "Glock switch." Court documents show that Reed also possessed over 300 pills of various shapes, sizes, colors and dosages of controlled substances. Reed was subsequently released on bond on state charges.

According to filed documents, on August 23, 2024, just 10 days after his arrest by CMPD, Reed's vehicle was stopped by Mint Hill Police Department officers in Mint Hill, North Carolina. When the officers informed Reed the vehicle would be searched, Reed attempted to run away but was quickly apprehended. The officers searched the vehicle and located a different black, Glock firearm under the driver's seat where Reed had been sitting. The firearm had an extended magazine and was loaded with 23 rounds of ammunition. A second firearm was located under the front passenger seat. The officers also recovered additional narcotics and prescription drugs in the vehicle.

"Ten days after being arrested on state charges, Reed was back on the streets with a gun and drugs," said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. "Those who refuse to follow the law and change their ways after being caught will find themselves in the federal system."

In March 2026, Reed pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. e i

This investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, CMPD, and the Mint Hill Police Department.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.