Michael Terrell Hames, 42, of Hickory, will serve an active prison term of seven to nine years following his conviction for assault and weapons charges along with his admission of habitual felon status.
The Honorable Peter Knight, Superior Court Judge from Henderson County, imposed the sentence during Catawba County Superior Court on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, after the defendant entered a guilty plea.
Hames pleaded to assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, three counts of possession of firearm by a felon and two counts of larceny of a firearm.
His habitual felon status enhanced the length of his prison sentence that will be served in the custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections. Those prior felony convictions were for possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver cocaine in Catawba County (December 2019), possession of cocaine in Cabarrus County (April 2004) and sell cocaine in Cabarrus County (February 1999).
The assault took place February 25, 2024, when Hames and the victim were engaged in a verbal dispute that led to Hames firing shots at the victim with a 9-millimeter handgun.
On March 27, 2024, the defendant stole a handgun, and did so again on April 16, 2024, from the same victim each time.
Hames previously had been convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon in December 2019 in Catawba County.
Elijah Adkins, Austin Gross and Joseph Hart investigated the cases for Hickory Police Department. Assistant District Attorney Howard Wellons prosecuted the matter for the State with aid from Legal Assistant Meredith Scott.