Charlotte Methamphetamine Trafficker Is Sentenced To Prison

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Michael Separ, 40, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 10 years in prison today followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

According to filed documents and today’s sentencing hearing, in July 2021, an investigation began into Separ’s drug distribution activities. On July 28, 2021, CMPD officers pulled over Separ’s vehicle for a traffic violation. Over the course of the traffic stop, Separ attempted to flee the scene. Following that incident, court documents show that officers conducted a search of Separ’s vehicle, seizing more than half a kilogram of methamphetamine, nearly half a kilogram of cocaine, almost a kilogram of marijuana, and four firearms and ammunition. On July 29, 2021, a search warrant was executed at Separ’s residence, and law enforcement seized more drugs, two additional firearms, and ammunition.

On November 16, 2022, Separ pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King credited an investigation led by the Western District’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigative efforts.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.

Assistant United States Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.