Terry Sherwood Slade, a 55-year-old resident of Charlotte, North Carolina, has been sentenced to 188 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. This decision comes after Slade's conviction for Hobbs Act robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon, as announced by Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Additionally, Slade was ordered to serve an extra 12 months and one day for violating his supervised release.
Court documents reveal that on November 20, 2023, while under federal supervision for a previous robbery conviction, Slade committed a robbery at the House of Clouds Smoke Shop in Charlotte. He requested cigarettes from an employee and then demanded money upon the register being opened, threatening to shoot the employee. After simulating having a weapon in his jacket pocket and taking money and cigarettes from behind the counter, he fled the scene.
On December 3, 2023, Slade targeted Nick’s Arcade in Charlotte. Upon entering, he engaged in a struggle with a security guard and cashier before seizing the guard's firearm. Armed with this weapon, he accessed the arcade's private office to steal cash from a safe before escaping.
An incident on December 13 led to Slade's arrest when an individual reported being shot at following an argument with him. The victim identified Slade as the shooter to Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) officers who subsequently arrested him. At the time of arrest, Slade possessed the firearm taken during the arcade robbery. Analysis confirmed that a cartridge collected at the shooting scene matched this firearm.
In September 2024, Slade entered guilty pleas for Hobbs Act robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon. Records show he has prior convictions including another Hobbs Act robbery and multiple state felony convictions in North Carolina for crimes such as Assault With a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury and Common Law Robbery.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and CMPD for their roles in investigating this case and acknowledged assistance from the U.S. Probation Office.
The prosecution was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
