Armed Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced After Lengthy Federal Case

A Charlotte man convicted on federal gun and drug charges was sentenced Wednesday to 13 years in prison following a case that stretched across more than two years of court proceedings, according to court records.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina said Shamel Malik Dove, 32, received the prison term and five years of supervised release after being found guilty of firearm and fentanyl trafficking offenses. He remains in custody and is expected to be transferred to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The case, United States v. Dove, was filed on June 21, 2023, in the USWDNC. Records show an indictment and arrest warrant were issued the same day, followed by Dove’s arrest and detention order in early July 2023.

Investigators with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said the charges stemmed from a February 2023 search tied to a shooting investigation in Charlotte. Officers executing a warrant reported finding three firearms in an apartment and later arresting Dove with a gun on his person. Authorities also recovered fentanyl pressed into blue pills that laboratory testing identified as about 89.5 grams of the synthetic opioid.

Dove pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, prosecutors said. He previously served about 23 months in prison after a 2016 conviction for illegal firearm possession.

Pretrial motions and trial activity

Court records reflect numerous continuances, changes in counsel, and pretrial disputes over evidence from 2023 to 2025. Defense attorneys filed motions to suppress evidence and sought disclosure of confidential informant information, prompting hearings and recommendations by a magistrate judge.

In October 2024, a district judge denied a suppression motion, allowing key evidence to remain in the case. Additional litigation followed in 2025, including renewed suppression challenges. A later opinion partially granted and partially denied aspects of those arguments, according to the docket.

The case advanced toward trial in September 2025, when jury proceedings were conducted, and exhibits and witness lists were filed. A jury verdict was returned on Nov. 4, 2025. Subsequent motions for acquittal were denied, with the court finding sufficient evidence supported the conviction.

Sentencing phase

Objections and sentencing memoranda were submitted in early 2026, and a writ was executed to secure Dove’s presence in court before sentencing was carried out on Feb. 18.

Federal officials credited cooperation between local and federal agencies for the investigation and prosecution, which was handled by the U.S. attorney’s office in Charlotte.

Fentanyl trafficking remains a major enforcement focus nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, account for the majority of U.S. overdose deaths in recent years, underscoring the public safety concerns tied to the drug’s distribution.

Dove’s federal sentence closes the district court phase of the case, though filings indicate appellate activity had been initiated after the verdict.