Federal court sends Charlotte man to prison after gunpoint robberies across three retail locations
What the sentence means
A Charlotte man has been sentenced in federal court to a 117-month prison term for a gunpoint robbery and related firearm offenses, a case handled by federal prosecutors in the Western District of North Carolina. The sentence includes five years of supervised release after imprisonment.
The defendant, Belton Lamont Davis, 44, was sentenced on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, with the sentencing publicly detailed the following day. Davis remains in federal custody and is expected to be transferred to the Federal Bureau of Prisons after a facility is designated.
Timeline of the robbery and arrest
Court filings and sentencing information describe the robbery as occurring on April 30, 2024, at a Family Dollar on Beatties Ford Road in Charlotte. Investigators said Davis entered the store, produced a firearm from his waistband, pointed it at the store clerk, and demanded money from the cash register. The clerk turned over money and Davis fled in a vehicle.
Police were able to locate the vehicle after a witness observed the license plate and the information was relayed through a 911 call. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers stopped the vehicle and took Davis into custody shortly afterward.
During a search connected to the stop and arrest, authorities said they recovered cash and a loaded Smith & Wesson SD40 VE .40-caliber pistol.
Charges resolved through a guilty plea
Davis pleaded guilty on Nov. 26, 2024, to a set of federal offenses tied to the armed robbery:
- Hobbs Act robbery
- Possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
- Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Federal authorities stated Davis had a prior conviction for second-degree murder, which legally barred him from possessing firearms or ammunition.
How federal jurisdiction applies in Charlotte robbery cases
The case was prosecuted in federal court under statutes commonly used when robbery and firearms allegations intersect with interstate commerce standards and federal firearm prohibitions. In practice, this framework can allow local armed-robbery investigations to be pursued federally when facts support charges such as Hobbs Act robbery and firearm offenses.
Editors’ note: Publicly available court and sentencing information in this matter details a Family Dollar robbery and related firearm charges that resulted in a 117-month federal prison sentence and five years of supervised release.