A Sunday follow-up by Charlotte officers on the city's east side ended with multiple arrests, nine seized guns and a 17-year-old sent to secure custody, according to police. The May 5 operation, launched off information from federal partners, brought the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Southwest Service Area Crime Reduction Unit to a home in the 13000 block of Crescent Springs Drive.
Partnerships, information sharing and rapid action continues to play a critical role in keeping Charlotte safe. On May 5, our Southwest Service Area Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) officers were following up on information from our partners at the @FBICharlotte in the 13000 block of Crescent Springs Drive. Officers located and seized nine firearms, two contained switch devices, and one was reported stolen. Several subjects were arrested and charged. https://x.com/i/status/2052773015901835386
— CMPD (@CMPD) May 8, 2026
According to CMPD News, officers first spotted several people outside the address smoking marijuana. After that, they executed a search warrant and ultimately recovered nine firearms from inside the residence and an associated vehicle. CMPD says two of those guns "contained switch devices" and one had been reported stolen. The department noted that its Juvenile Accountability and Diversion Empowerment Unit assisted during the operation.
Search, seizures and arrests
As reported by WCCB, Mecklenburg County booking photos and public jail records from May 5 list 20-year-old Brenden Garris and 19-year-old Na'sier Ragin among those arrested, both facing weapons-related charges. The same records show 23-year-old Nyrell Foxx and 22-year-old Jordan Smith charged on carrying-concealed-weapon counts, and confirm that a juvenile was charged with possession of a stolen firearm.
Why police say the sweep matters
Officials have framed the east Charlotte sweep as part of a larger push to pull illegal guns out of neighborhoods, a strategy CMPD has highlighted in recent public safety briefings. Local coverage notes that overall crime dropped in the first quarter of 2026, even as the department leaned on targeted operations and interagency teamwork to get firearms off the street. WFAE detailed CMPD’s first-quarter update and the role of collaborative enforcement in those efforts.
Legal context
Several of the arrests that came out of the sweep involve unusually serious weapons counts. North Carolina law criminalizes the manufacture, possession or acquisition of nuclear, biological or chemical weapons of mass destruction and treats those offenses as felonies. Other statutes in the same section cover destructive devices and related conduct. For readers who want the exact language and legal definitions, the North Carolina General Assembly publishes the statute in Chapter 14, Article 36B. See the text via the NC General Assembly.
How to help
Anyone with information tied to this case can contact Charlotte Crime Stoppers anonymously at 704-334-1600 or through the P3 Tips mobile app. Charlotte Crime Stoppers also maintains an online portal that explains how tips work and outlines available reward options.
