Charlotte resident Damarious Sims, 24, was handed a prison sentence of over six years for the illegal possession of firearms. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina, Sims received 76 months behind bars followed by three years of supervised release for each of two counts relating to the offense.
Details of the incidents leading up to Sims' latest arrest include a confrontation on August 13, 2022, initially involving a fraudulent marijuana sale that escalated into violence. Sims was shot in the leg during the incident. The subsequent investigation by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), in cooperation with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), uncovered that Sims, despite his role as a victim in the shooting, was in possession of an illegally held firearm. Furthermore, while out on bond for these charges in November of the same year, Sims brandished another weapon during an altercation near the same location, the Omni Hotel.
The plea entered by Sims on April 26, 2023, to two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon led to his current sentencing. The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, Dena J. King, and other law enforcement officials underscored the importance of such cases for Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and improving safety in communities. PSN emphasizes the collaboration of all law enforcement levels with the communities they serve.
The case against Sims was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Kent of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte. According to the statement, on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, Princess Houghton, the assailant in the August 2022 shooting, was sentenced to eight years in prison. Both convictions reinforce the collaborative efforts among federal, state, and local law enforcement to curb gun violence through strategic enforcement and the building of trust within the community.
