A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) officer is on unpaid leave amid a federal investigation into an alleged gun purchase for a convicted felon, WSOC-TV first reported Wednesday, Oct. 7.
The officer, assigned to CMPD's Metro Division, was placed on unpaid leave Sept. 30, the department confirmed to WSOC-TV crime reporter Hunter Sáenz. No charges have been filed. WSOC-TV is not naming the officer.
Multiple sources told Sáenz that during a separate incident, a suspect was arrested with a gun. When that firearm was traced, the officer's name appeared on the purchase form. Sources described the alleged conduct as buying a gun for a convicted felon, according to WSOC-TV's reporting.
Federal investigators are handling the case, though WSOC-TV's sources did not identify which agency is leading the probe. CMPD has not released a statement specific to this investigation.
The allegation describes what federal law calls a "straw purchase," where one person buys a firearm on behalf of someone legally barred from owning one. Making false statements during a firearm purchase from a licensed dealer can carry up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to an ATF statement issued in a separate straw-purchase case.
The investigation follows another recent CMPD officer misconduct case. On July 29, Officer Seth Elliott was placed on unpaid leave after the State Bureau of Investigation arrested him on a charge of illegally accessing a government computer, according to a CMPD press release. That internal investigation remains ongoing.
Separately, the issue of straw purchases drew national attention in Charlotte after federal agents on Sept. 28 arrested Natasha Renee Gibbs, 42, in Dallas, Texas. Gibbs is charged with illegally purchasing a firearm for Terry Clark Hughes Jr., the convicted felon who shot and killed four law enforcement officers on Galway Drive in Charlotte on April 29, 2024.
No timeline for potential charges or further action in the Metro Division officer's case has been announced.
