Federal Jury Finds Convicted Felon with Two Firearms Guilty of Illegal Gun Possession

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A federal jury in Charlotte returned a guilty verdict yesterday against Marcus Jamal Shankle, 36, of Charlotte, for illegally possessing a firearm, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Matthew E. Orso presided over the two-day trial.

According to trial evidence, in October 2024, officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) were investigating Shankle for illegal firearm possession. Shankle had prior federal convictions for distribution of cocaine base and for violating the terms of his supervised release. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms. On October 3, 2024, CMPD officers approached Shankle as he was exiting a restaurant in Charlotte. Shankle was walking to his vehicle when he saw the officers approaching. He walked toward his front passenger side door, then attempted to draw a handgun from his waistband. The officers were able to disarm Shankle, but then Shankle grabbed a second firearm hidden in his waistband. The officers attempted to remove this second firearm from Shankle's grip. Shankle was shot in the course of Shankle's armed struggle with the officers. Shankle had been in possession of a Ruger, Model P94, 40 caliber semiautomatic pistol and a stolen Keltec, Model P3AT, .380 caliber semiautomatic pistol.

The jury found Shankle guilty of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He faces a statutory sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

In making today's announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of the case.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte is prosecuting 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.