Man With Loaded Firearm At Charlotte Transportation Center Is Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced Everett Jamal Taite, 30, of Charlotte, to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a stolen firearm at the Charlotte Transportation Center, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Brian Mein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

According to filed court documents and the sentencing hearing, on October 4, 2022, law enforcement encountered Taite in a public restroom at the Charlotte Transportation Center where they observed him holding a small bag of cocaine. Court records show that when Taite was confronted by law enforcement, he attempted to put the cocaine into his backpack, failed to follow commands of the officer, resisted arrest, struck the officer in the face, and stated that he had a gun. Taite was taken into custody shortly thereafter. In Taite’s waistband, officers found a loaded .45 caliber pistol that had been reported stolen. Taite has previously been convicted in state court of conspiracy to commit common law robbery, two counts of felony breaking and entering, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

On April 17, 2023, Taite pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm. 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 thanked the ATF for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.