Derontrez Coleman Gets 76 to 104 Months Prison
The 34-year-old pled guilty to firearm possession by a felon and attaining habitual felon status in connection with a December 2024 Asheville traffic stop.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Crime — General
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Derontrez Coleman pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon and to attaining habitual felon status, and was sentenced to 76 to 104 months in state prison. The charges stem from a December 17, 2024 incident in which Asheville police stopped a vehicle and seized two handguns.
Why it matters
The case shows how prior felony convictions can bar individuals from legally possessing firearms and lead to lengthy sentences under North Carolina's habitual felon law. It also illustrates how a routine traffic stop can uncover weapons and lead to criminal charges.
Coleman has pled guilty to firearm possession by a felon and attaining habitual felon status and was sentenced to 76 to 104 months in state prison. His co-defendant was arrested in the same stop, but the stub does not report that person's current legal status.
The players
Derontrez Coleman
A 34-year-old man who pled guilty to firearm possession by a felon and habitual felon status after a prior record that includes habitual breaking and entering, common law robbery, and larceny of a motor vehicle.
Asheville Police Department
The municipal police agency that patrolled near Haywood Road, stopped the vehicle, seized the handguns, and made the arrests.
The details
Asheville police patrolling near Haywood Road spotted two men drinking tequila, using drugs, and carrying guns in a vehicle. Officers pulled the car after it drove the wrong way down Granada Street and weaved between lanes, then searched it, seized two handguns, and arrested Coleman and a co-defendant because past felony convictions barred both men from possessing firearms.
Timeline
December 17, 2024: Asheville police stop the vehicle and arrest Coleman and a co-defendant.
November 2, 2026: Coleman is sentenced to 76 to 104 months in state prison.
Legal Context
North Carolina's habitual felon statute raises sentencing exposure for people with multiple prior felony convictions, and Coleman's 76 to 104 month term reflects that enhancement. Cases like this one show how felon-in-possession charges are routinely paired with habitual felon status in Buncombe County prosecutions.
Asheville residents may see continued police enforcement of firearm restrictions for people with felony records, particularly in traffic stops in the Haywood Road area. Anyone with prior felony convictions faces legal barriers to possessing firearms regardless of where the weapon is found.
The takeaway
A traffic stop that appears routine can uncover firearms and lead to serious federal and state charges when a driver has prior felony convictions. Residents with felony records should understand that possessing a gun, even briefly during a stop, can result in a prison sentence under habitual felon provisions.
Further reading
For more on related local cases, see Crime — General coverage in Asheville.
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Should repeat felons automatically face substantially longer prison sentences than first-time offenders?
