Felon in Possession of an Illegal Firearm Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Grant Cole Harden, 29, was sentenced to nine years in prison yesterday followed by two years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

According to court documents, Harden has prior felony convictions, including Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon, and is thus prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. On December 22, 2024, Harden entered an arcade in Charlotte. Upon entering the location, Harden brandished a firearm and disarmed a security guard. Harden then engaged in a shootout with another individual in the arcade and was struck by gunfire. He exited the arcade and was arrested by law enforcement. Law enforcement recovered a Glock 22 Gen 5, .40 caliber pistol that Harden illegally possessed and used at the arcade. 

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson said, “One convicted felon. One illegal firearm. That’s all it takes to put multiple lives at risk. That’s why my office continues to identify dangerous criminals that threaten our communities and take their cases federal to get them off the streets.” 

“Harden’s sentence demonstrates the FBI’s continued commitment to working with our law‑enforcement partners to confront violent offenders and remove illegally possessed firearms from our communities,” said Reid Davis, the FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge. “When individuals choose to endanger the public through armed violence, we will take decisive action to hold them accountable.”

Harden is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility. 

This investigation was led by the FBI and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimlani Ford of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.