U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell has sentenced Cleveland Pegues, a 40-year-old resident of Charlotte, to five years in prison for armed cocaine trafficking. This announcement was made by Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Pegues will also serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
The case involved collaboration between Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), and Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron.
Court documents reveal that on March 15, 2023, CMPD officers attempted to stop a black Honda Accord for a traffic violation. The driver initially complied but then sped away as officers approached. A bag thrown from the vehicle was later found to contain marijuana and cocaine. Officers discovered a stolen loaded firearm along the vehicle's route and identified Pegues as the driver.
Further investigation on March 29, 2023, led officers to observe Pegues carrying bags towards a truck before attempting to flee on foot when spotted by law enforcement; he was apprehended quickly. Officers found two firearms—a Pietro Beretta pistol with ammunition and a stolen Smith and Wesson revolver—in Pegues' possession alongside drugs including over 100 grams of cocaine packaged for distribution.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Pegues' apartment where they seized $7,000 in cash among other items related to drug trafficking.
Pegues pleaded guilty on August 29, 2024, to charges including possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime. He remains in federal custody awaiting placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron expressed gratitude towards ATF and CMPD for their roles in investigating this case which Assistant U.S Attorney Nick J Miller prosecuted out from Charlotte’s office.