Ohio Man Arrested With Methamphetamine And An Illegal Firearm Is Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Michael Lamar Gaines, 40, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine and illegal possession of a firearm, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Sheriff Darren Campbell of the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

According to court records, on February 6, 2023, a deputy with the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop of Gaines’s vehicle on I-77 for a traffic violation. Gaines did not comply and instead fled at a high rate of speed. Court records show that the deputy reported that Gaines had left the roadway multiple times and nearly struck other vehicles in his attempt to evade law enforcement. Ultimately, Gaines crashed his vehicle after exiting I-77 and running a stop sign. Gaines then attempted to flee on foot before he was apprehended. After Gaines was taken into custody, law enforcement searched his vehicle and found a handgun with an extended magazine and two bags that contained nearly half a kilogram of methamphetamine. Law enforcement also seized $8,940 in cash that Gaines had on his person. Court records show that Gaines has multiple prior criminal convictions including drug trafficking and theft and he is prohibited from possessing firearms.

On February 2, 2024, Gaines pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

The ATF and the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office handled the investigation. 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.