CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - North Carolina, Western), published as received.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal jury in Charlotte returned a guilty verdict against Kenneth Fuller, 43, of Charlotte, for possession of ammunition by a felon, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell presided over the three-day trial.
“This convicted felon shot into two businesses while employees and patrons were present,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “We cannot stand idly by when people endanger innocent life. By putting people like Fuller behind bars, everyone else can go about their daily life without worrying about their safety.”
“Such a careless and blatant disregard for public safety puts our entire community at risk,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “ATF and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold reckless individuals accountable for their violent threats and dangerous behavior.”
Fuller was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2026, on two counts of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, stemming from his involvement in two separate shootings. The first shooting happened on December 20, 2024, at a Waffle House in Charlotte. Officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Department (CMPD) were dispatched to the Waffle House at approximately 5:53 a.m. Upon arrival, the officers spoke with multiple witnesses and employees who explained that an individual, later identified as Fuller, claimed he paid too much and demanded a refund. Fuller then became upset and shot a handgun into the air. Fuller then returned to his vehicle, a black Maserati sedan, and drove off. Officers searched the area and recovered a single .40 S&W caliber discharged case in the grass.
About two weeks after the Waffle House incident, on January 3, 2025, CMPD officers received a call for service for a shooting at the Market Express in Charlotte. Witnesses on the scene told officers that an individual later identified as Fuller came inside to get food at approximately 5:40 a.m. Fuller complained about a food order and argued with store employees. Fuller left the store and drove away. Later that same morning, at approximately 7:10 a.m., Fuller returned in his black Maserati, fired two times at one of the store employees, and fled.
Officers arrived at the location and recovered two .40 S&W caliber shell casings on the ground. They also observed two large bullet holes in the windowpane to the left of the store’s door.
Fuller was arrested on January 13, 2025, seated in the driver’s seat of the same black Maserati as the one driven during the shooting incidents. Trial evidence showed that the discharged cartridge casings seized as a result of the two incidents were both fired from the same firearm. Fuller has multiple prior felony convictions in North Carolina, including for distribution of cocaine, and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The jury found Fuller guilty on two counts of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. He faces a statutory sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison per count. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
