North Charlotte Today

A Charlotte man, Demetrius Lamar Mattox, has been sentenced to five years in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. This was announced by Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Following his release from prison, Mattox will also serve three years under court supervision.

The sentencing follows an investigation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) into drug trafficking activities in Charlotte. According to court documents and proceedings, Mattox was identified as a local fentanyl distributor who sold both fentanyl and firearms to a confidential source on multiple occasions between September and October 2023.

Mattox pleaded guilty on August 13, 2024. He is currently in federal custody and awaits transfer to a designated federal facility managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.

This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Department launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021, which focuses on fostering community trust, supporting preventive community-based organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.