Honduran man sentenced for gun and drug trafficking in Charlotte
A Honduran man will spend more than eight years in prison for gun and drug trafficking, then will be deported, according to federal prosecutors.
Michael Naun Antunez Vasquez, 22, was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to three charges, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson’s office. The charges were trafficking in firearms, possession of a machine gun and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime.
Vasquez sold several guns to someone working undercover with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in 2024, the release said. One Glock he sold had been converted into a machine gun, it said.
The release said Union County sheriff’s deputies pulled Vasquez over as he was on his way to meet with the undercover agent. Deputies seized about 29 grams of methamphetamine, ammunition, high-capacity magazines, a machine gun conversion device and guns.
U.S. Marshals are holding Vasquez until he is transferred to prison.
Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.