A Charlotte man, previously convicted of a felony, has been sentenced to seven years in prison after being caught with a firearm. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr., who also mandated a subsequent three-year supervised release for the defendant, Everette Josiah Phifer, 30. According to an announcement by U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, Dena J. King, Phifer's sentencing relates to events that occurred between February 7, 2022, and March 5, 2022.
After a 2016 assault conviction, Phifer, a felon, is prohibited from owning firearms. However, on March 5, 2022, CMPD officers responding to a shooting at a Charlotte apartment complex found Phifer with multiple firearms, including an SKS rifle and a loaded Glock handgun with an undermount laser hidden in a toilet tank. The shooting tragically killed an innocent resident with a stray bullet.
During a search warrant execution, officers also discovered fentanyl pills in the apartment. Analyzed evidence from Phifer’s cell phone included photos of him brandishing the same SKS rifle found in the apartment, and a video featuring the Glock handgun, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Phifer pled guilty to the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on June 23, 2023, and he remains in federal custody pending transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility designation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Sielaff is prosecuting the case, which falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods—a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. This initiative, reinforced on May 26, 2021, is described as fostering trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting community-based violence prevention efforts, emphasizing strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring resulting outcomes. Both the ATF and CMPD were thanked for their investigation efforts leading to these convictions.
