Trevaris Devar Kennedy, a 21-year-old resident of Charlotte, has been sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. The sentencing comes after Kennedy was convicted for possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a machinegun. The announcement was made by Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Court documents reveal that on December 22, 2023, an officer from the Statesville Police Department attempted to stop a vehicle with an expired registration tag. Kennedy was identified as a passenger in the car. When the officer signaled for the vehicle to pull over, it sped away but eventually stopped, leading to an attempted escape on foot by the driver. During this incident, two firearms were thrown from the passenger window into nearby woods. Officers later retrieved these weapons: a Glock Model 19 and a stolen Glock Model 26, both equipped with extended magazines and modified with "Glock switches," which convert them into fully automatic firearms. A total of 55 rounds of ammunition were also found.
Kennedy was arrested on January 5, 2024. His cell phone was seized and analyzed by law enforcement officials who discovered images and videos showing him holding various firearms fitted with Glock switches. Communications found on his phone indicated that he had been selling these devices via social media platforms.
At the time of his arrest, Kennedy was already on probation for previous criminal offenses and prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
Kennedy remains in federal custody awaiting transfer to a federal prison facility designated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson acknowledged the efforts of both the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Statesville Police Department in conducting the investigation that led to Kennedy's conviction.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Kinlaw from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
