Armed Career Criminal Is Sentenced To More Than 16 Years

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray announced today that David Matthew Harold, 42, of Weaverville, N.C., was sentenced to 200 months in prison and five years of supervised release on federal firearms offenses. U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr.  presided over the sentencing.

According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, on multiple occasions between June and July 2017, Harold illegally possessed firearms and ammunition, and was involved in three separate shooting incidents. Court documents show that the first incident occurred on June 25, 2017, during which Harold fired at least four shots in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Burnsville, N.C. There were no injuries resulting from the incident, but at least one of the shots struck an unoccupied parked vehicle. Court records show that, sometime after the incident, Harold told two other individuals that he fired the shots to retaliate against a neighbor for calling the police to register a noise complaint against Harold. Law enforcement recovered four empty shell casings in connection with the shooting incident.

According to court records, the second incident occurred on July 11, 2017, during which Harold discharged a firearm into an occupied residence in Leicester, N.C. At the time of the incident, the individual targeted by Harold was not at home but his parents were, though they were not injured. According to court documents, law enforcement later observed five bullet holes in the house targeted by Harold, and recovered bullets from inside the residence.

According to court documents, the third shooting incident occurred on July 16, 2017, during which Harold discharged a firearm into an occupied residence located in Mars Hill, N.C. In this incident, Harold shot in the leg a minor victim who happened to be standing outside the residence. Court documents show that Harold shot the residence in retaliation, after he accused an individual who resided in the home of being a “snitch.” The minor was taken to the hospital and treated for his injuries. Law enforcement recovered seven spent cartridge casings on the ground outside the residence.

At the time these incidents occurred, Harold was a convicted felon and was an unlawful user of controlled substances, and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.  Specifically, Harold was previously convicted of common law robbery, felonious breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, and injury to personal property.

At today’s sentencing hearing, the Government presented additional evidence concerning two separate incidents that occurred while Harold was on pretrial confinement, during which Harold assaulted and injured two inmates.

On March 4, 2020, Harold pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two counts of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. At today’s sentencing hearing, the Court classified Harold as an “Armed Career Criminal.”

Harold is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.  Federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.

In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, the Unicoi County Sheriff’s Office in Tennessee, the Mars Hill Police Department and the Burnsville Police Department for their coordination and partnerships throughout the investigation and prosecution of this case.

Assistant United States Attorney Don Gast, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 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. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.