A North Texas woman is facing federal charges after authorities say she illegally purchased firearms that ended up in the hands of the gunman responsible for killing four law enforcement officers in Charlotte, North Carolina, last year.
Natasha Renee Gibbs, 42, of Dallas, was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. She faces two counts of making false statements during firearm purchases and one count of illegally transferring a weapon to a prohibited person.
Federal prosecutors allege Gibbs purchased a Taurus G2C 9mm pistol from a licensed Charlotte gun dealer in October 2021, falsely claiming the weapon was for herself. She allegedly returned to the same dealer in October 2023 and bought a Radical Firearms RF-15 5.56-caliber rifle under the same false pretense.
Investigators say Gibbs then transferred the rifle to Terry Clark Hughes Jr. sometime between October 2023 and April 29, 2024, despite knowing or having reason to believe he was legally barred from owning a firearm. Court documents do not confirm whether either weapon was fired during the deadly shooting.
On April 29, 2024, members of a U.S. Marshals Task Force attempted to serve a federal warrant on Hughes at his Charlotte residence when he opened fire on officers. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Joshua Eyer, Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas M. Weeks Jr., and North Carolina Department of Adult Correction officers Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott were all killed. Hughes died during the exchange of gunfire.
ATF confirmed that firearms linked to Gibbs were later recovered in Hughes’ possession. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Estella Patterson credited the arrest to continued federal investigative work more than a year after the tragedy.
ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones emphasized that straw purchasing a firearm for someone prohibited from owning one carries devastating real-world consequences. Jones stated that the deaths of the four officers are proof that illegal gun purchases are far from a victimless crime.
Gibbs was scheduled to make her initial court appearance on September 29. If convicted on all charges, she could face up to 10 years in federal prison and fines reaching $250,000.