CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray announced today that four defendants were sentenced to prison for firearms violations.  The defendants were prosecuted as part of Project Guardian, the Justice Department’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce gun laws.

U.S. v. Elroy Marshall

Chief U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney sentenced today Elroy Lee Marshall, 39, of Hamlet, N.C., to 105 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. According to court records, on October 15, 2017, Marshall possessed a Ruger Model LC9, 9mm pistol, which he carried in his pocket.  Marshall has a prior federal conviction for his involvement in an armed postal robbery, and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Gleason and Anthony Enright, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.

U.S. v. Zacharias Lee

Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr. sentenced Zacharias Lee, 27, of Charlotte, to 70 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. According to court documents, on March 26, 2018, Charlotte Mecklenburg police officers responded to a suspicious vehicle call. Upon locating the vehicle, the officers observed Lee, who was the driver of the vehicle, trying to hide a firearm under the vehicle while he was talking to the officers.  A second firearm was recovered from the backseat of the vehicle. Upon further investigation, law enforcement determined that Lee had stolen a total of four firearms, by breaking into parked vehicles belonging to firefighters, at three fire departments in Mecklenburg County. Lee has two other prior state convictions for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Court records show that Lee was on probation for his second Possession of a Firearm by a Felon conviction when he broke into the vehicles and stole the firearms.

The case was investigated by ATF and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Cortney Randall, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.

U.S. v. Santario Boyd

Judge Conrad also sentenced yesterday Santario Boyd, 29, of Charlotte, to 68 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.  According to court documents in this case, on January 31, 2018, Boyd shot a victim in the leg in response to something the victim said to Boyd.  On February 21, 2018, CMPD’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team arrested Boyd for the shooting, and a firearm was located in the bedroom where Boyd was found.  Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that the recovered firearm was the same one Boyd used to shoot the victim. On January 31, 2019, Boyd pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. 

ATF and CMPD handled the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly was in charge of the prosecution for the United States.

U.S. v. Marcus Watkins

Yesterday, Judge Conrad sentenced Marcus Bernard Watkins, 29, of Charlotte, to 68 months in prison and three years of supervised release. According to court documents, on August 30, 2017, probation officers with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS) and CMPD officers conducted a warrantless search and compliance check at Watkins’ residence, who at the time was under state supervision. Over the course of the search, law enforcement located a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in Watkins’ bedroom.  Due to his prior conviction, Watkins was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

ATF, NCDPS and CMPD handled the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.

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In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the law enforcement agencies involved in the aforementioned prosecutions, and noted that these cases are part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. 

Initiated by Attorney General William P. Barr, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the ATF when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.