Cabarrus County Man Sentenced for Felon in Possession of Firearm

WINSTON-SALEM – A Midland, North Carolina man was sentenced today for a felony firearm offense, announced Sandra J. Hairston, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC). 

RONALD CHRISTOPHER BETHEA, JR., 34, was sentenced to a 92-month term of imprisonment by the Honorable Thomas D. Schroeder, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on April 2, 2024, to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). 

According to court documents, on April 4, 2023, a Cabarrus County Deputy Sheriff conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle after the driver, BETHEA, committed a traffic infraction. The Deputy smelled marijuana upon approaching the vehicle and speaking with the driver. BETHEA admitted he had 3.5 grams of “weed” in the car and advised that he had recently gotten out of prison in South Carolina. BETHEA also admitted he had a gun, and the Deputy recovered a loaded 9mm pistol from BETHEA’s right front pants pocket. During a search of BETHEA’s vehicle, deputies found small quantities of marijuana, cocaine, and psilocybin mushrooms. 

BETHEA had been previously convicted of the felony offense of Attempted Murder in the Court of General Session for the State of South Carolina, Marlboro County, and was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment. His conviction had not been set aside or expunged, and he had not been pardoned or had his civil rights restored, and he was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm. 

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig M. Principe. 

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. 

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