A previously convicted felon on federal supervised release was sentenced to prison again on May 5 for illegally possessing a firearm, according to an announcement by Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. William Sedrick Rollerson, 58, of Charlotte, received a total sentence of 108 months in prison: 60 months for violating supervised release conditions and an additional consecutive term of 48 months for illegal possession of a firearm. After serving his sentence, Rollerson will be subject to two years of supervised release.
Supervised release is intended to help former inmates reintegrate into society and prevent them from returning to criminal activity. "Supervised release exists to rehabilitate those who have served time in prison, help them reintegrate into society, and to keep a close eye on them to ensure they do not return to their life of crime," Ferguson said. "It appears Mr. Rollerson very quickly returned to his life of crime, and he will therefore serve a sentence for his crime and an additional sentence for violating the conditions of his supervised release."
Court documents show that after completing a previous lengthy prison term in the Western District of North Carolina, Rollerson was required under supervision terms to attend regular probation office appointments and submit drug tests. On April 24, 2025, during one such meeting at the federal courthouse in Charlotte with his probation officer—where he was told he had tested positive for cocaine use—Rollerson denied using cocaine but failed further scrutiny when officers searched his vehicle outside the courthouse. Officers found a loaded Taurus .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol along with digital scales, baggies containing an unknown gray powdery substance, and additional ammunition.
Rollerson pleaded guilty on September 18, 2025, to possession of a firearm by a felon and remains in federal custody pending transfer to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Probation Office with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration as well as eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina prosecutes federal crimes—including those involving firearms—and handles civil matters within its jurisdiction covering parts such as half the Great Smoky Mountains National Park; it employs nearly one hundred prosecutors and support staff working across facilities in Charlotte and Asheville according to its official website.
