A Savannah man has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison after a single bullet was found in his pocket following a shooting.
Charles Harmon Porter, 54, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
Porter, who pleaded guilty to the charge, was involved in a domestic dispute on May 29, 2023, where he shot his female roommate at their residence on Alma Street in Savannah. Following the shooting, Porter ran from the scene but was quickly captured by Savannah police.
During the booking process at Chatham County jail, a single round of ammunition was found in Porter’s pocket. An ATF examiner confirmed that the ammunition was manufactured outside of Georgia, which makes it a federal offense.
“The sentencing of Charles Harmon Porter reaffirms that this office will vigorously prosecute violent criminals who illegally possess firearms or ammunition down to the very last bullet as part of our commitment to public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Margaret E. Heap.
At Porter’s sentencing hearing on September 4, the court agreed with the United States’ evidence that the ammunition was connected to the shooting, which was considered attempted murder.
The case was investigated by the ATF and the Savannah Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy P. Dean prosecuting.
A related state charge of aggravated assault against Porter is still pending in Chatham County Superior Court.
TURKS AND CAICOS — Police in Turks and Caicos have charged an American woman with ammunition possession — a crime that carries a minimum penalty of 12 years — after airport officials alleged they found illegal ammunition in her luggage.
Sharitta Shinise Grier, 45, of Orlando, was visiting Turks and Caicos with her daughter for Mother’s Day when, during a routine search at the Howard Hamilton International Airport Monday, officials claim to have found two rounds of ammunition in her bag, police said.
Grier and her daughter were both arrested, though the daughter was later released.
Officials confirmed Wednesday the mother had been charged. She is expected in court on Thursday, officials said. Attorney information for the defendant wasn’t immediately available.
Two years ago, the Turks and Caicos government tightened their gun laws and prohibited civilian firearms or ammunition. If convicted, offenders are sentenced to a minimum of 12 years in prison.
It is illegal to transport firearms or ammunition to or from any of the Caribbean countries without a license, according to U.S. laws.
She is the fifth American to be charged under Turks and Caicos’ gun laws this year.
Grier’s arrest and charging comes as several U.S. governors released a letter asking the Caribbean island’s governor to release three men who have been jailed for weeks over similar charges.
Ryan and Valerie Watson of Oklahoma were arrested on April 24 after hunting ammunition was found in Ryan Watson’s carry-on bag before they flew home. Valerie Watson’s charges were dropped, and she was allowed to fly back to the U.S.
Her husband was released on $15,000 bond but remains on the island as his court case continues.
Ryan Watson told ABC News he didn’t know the ammunition was in the bag.
Bryan Hagerich, of Pennsylvania, is awaiting sentencing on the island after pleading guilty to possession of 20 rounds of ammunition.
Bryan Hagerich is facing a dozen years in a Turks and Caicos prison after airport security found ammunition in his suitcase back in February.
Hagerich, who was arrested in February, told ABC News he forgot hunting ammunition was in his bag while he was traveling.
“I’m a man of character, integrity. I did not have intent in this,” Hagerich previously said.
Michael Lee Evans, 72, of Texas, also pleaded guilty to possession of seven 9mm rounds of ammunition in his luggage and is awaiting sentencing.
Tyler Scott Wenrich, 31, was charged on April 23 when officials found illegal ammunition during a checkpoint on Turks and Caicos while he was traveling on a cruise, investigators said.
Tyler Scott Wenrich is among four Americans charged with possession of ammunition offenses in the tropical Atlantic getaway of Turks and Caicos
The incidents have sparked calls from the defendants’ families and U.S. officials who allege the island’s laws and penalties are too strict.
On Wednesday, Governors Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Glenn Youngkin of Virginia sent a joint letter to Turks and Caicos Gov. Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam to release Watson, Hagerich and Wenrich.
“This action will create the necessary recognition of your laws that will impact the future actions of travelers and continue our mutual interest in justice and goodwill between our jurisdictions,” the letter read.
Authorities in Stanislaus County arrested four men and seized drugs, a stockpile of firearms and ammunition and material to make bombs as part of a months-long investigation into outlaw motorcycle clubs in the region, law enforcement officials announced last week.
The probe into the motorcycle clubs began last year following acts of violence stemming from a dispute between dozens of rival Hells Angels, Salida Nomads and Mongol members, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department. Authorities declined to elaborate on what the violence entailed and what may have prompted the fight since the investigation is ongoing.
On Feb. 28, law enforcement executed 12 search warrants, raiding locations across San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties including a Hells Angels clubhouse in downtown Stockton, said Sgt. Luke Schwartz.
They siezed 50 firearms, ammunition, gun silencers, paraphernalia that contained the clubs’ names, narcotics and material to make explosives, the Sheriff’s Department wrote in a news release.
Four Modesto men — Vincent Ball, 62, Anthony Vincent Soria, 37, Alfeiri Mishell Taneiya, 26, and Emilio Diaz Martinez, 35 — who authorities allege are affiliated with motorcycle clubs, were taken into custody. They were arrested on suspicion of possession of a steroid, an assault weapon, a silencer and narcotics as well as manufacturing and selling metal knuckles and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the news release.
A man squatting in Yosemite National Park was sentenced to more than five years and three months in prison on Monday for breaking into a private residence and possessing a sawed-off shotgun and ammunition, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Sacramento.
Devin Michael Cuellar, 29, broke into the home on Koon Hollar Road in Wawona in 2021 and resided there for several months without permission from the owner, damaging and stealing property, according to federal prosecutors. Cuellar was previously convicted of carjacking and possessing controlled substances for sale and was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
He is also a longtime gang member who is known to use narcotics such as heroin, prosecutors said.
Cuellar, who had already been jailed for 11 months, asked to be sentenced to time served with 60 months’ probation and in-patient treatment for his drug abuse, according to a sentencing memo. But prosecutors requested a term of 63 months, noting he had received lenient sentences in the past but still “led his life from one bad decision to another.”
The National Park Service was assisted in its investigation by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Forensic Services and the Madera County Sheriff’s Office.
In a classic case of cat-and-mouse, the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) together with the Fuerza Publica, cracked the code and sprang into action, uprooting an undercover marijuana nursery in Pérez Zeledón. This was no hasty heist; the operation was a meticulous orchestration of weeks of unwavering investigation, a saga of persistence that saw the case ultimately nestled in the hands of the Prosecutor’s Office.
A Forest of Illicit Foliage
In the shrouded secrecy of the nursery, 848 marijuana plants had been flourishing away from the prying eyes of justice. These weren’t just your regular backyard varieties. Oh no, they ranged from petite 30 cm sprouts to towering 1.8-meter giants, each basking in their illegal glory.
The Great Escape
As the drama unfolded, a mysterious figure emerged in the plot. A man, seemingly the guardian of the illicit greens, performed a grand vanishing act. He embraced the vegetation around with a desperate embrace and vanished, leaving the befuddled authorities grasping at the ethereal echoes of his presence.
A Hodgepodge of High Tech
Disguise was the name of the game, with tarps playing the lead role in this shadowy performance. Below this veil, a universe of sophistication revealed itself: an assembly of energy, lighting, and irrigation systems. All components meticulously orchestrated to bring life to this forbidden garden.
The Discovery Sequel
The thrill didn’t end there. A foray into a nearby…
If you’ve an appetite for destruction, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is happy to provide a near-infinite supply of guns which you can customize to an absurdly delightful degree. Seriously, this is almost as fun as sorting my nail polish colors.
But it’s not about making all the other soldier guys, gals, and non-binary pals envious of your brutal styles; there are a ton of stats you’ll want to wrap your head around too. For every attachment you slap on a gun, there are clear pros and cons. And once you hit max level with any given firearm, you unlock weapon tuning, allowing you to tweak how guns feel and perform even further.
Modern Warfare II gives you a lot of room for freedom, style, and min/maxing, so while time will tell what the god-tier meta ends up being, don’t be afraid to jump in and experiment with a setup that helps you climb the scoreboard while looking cool and fitting your style of play.
This guide solely focuses on firearms you point and shoot, meaning your primary and secondary weapons. Let’s dig in.
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Screenshot: Activision / Kotaku
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Guns 101
As soon as you load into the game you’ll see a set of tabs at the top: Play, Weapons, Operators, Battle Pass, and Store.
Selecting Weapons will take you to where you can sort your Loadouts, Killstreaks, and Vehicle Customization. In Loadouts, you’ll notice you can have up to 10 custom configurations, so don’t worry about needing to commit to a narrow selection. A loadout is made up of six items: You’ve a choice of a Primary and Secondary weapon, as well as your Tactical and Lethal Equipment, your Perks, and a Field Upgrade.
Your loadout is laid out in a horizontal bar on the “Edit Loadouts” screen. Selecting a specific loadout will let you configure each of the six types. Some of your available weapons are dictated by what Perks you have active for that loadout. Primary weapons have the following types:
Primary Weapon Types
Assault Rifles
Battle Rifles
SMGs
Shotguns
LMGs
Marksman Rifles
Sniper Rifles
Melee
There are only three types of Secondary weapons.
Secondary Weapon Types
Weapons further break down into Platforms, which lay out much like a skill tree in an RPG, indicating attachments you can unlock for any given weapon. When looking at a weapon in either the loadout or weapon menu screen, you can view the Platform progression by pressing V on keyboard (touchpad on PlayStation, view button on Xbox).
The M4 Platform, for example, is a family of weapons that consists of the M4 assault rifle, 556 Icarus LMG, FTAC Recon battle rifle, M16 assault rifle, and the FSS Hurricane SMG.
You level up each gun by getting out there and scoring kills. Some guns from a specific Platform are locked behind a weapon level. For example, to get the Bryson 890 shotgun, you need to build your Bryson 800 to level 16. You can also level up each individual weapon for even more attachment customization.
Screenshot: Activision / Kotaku
Customizing weapons and attachments with the Gunsmith
When viewing a specific loadout in the menus some guns will have a “Gunsmith” option. Here you can change up how your gun is built.
In Gunsmith’s “Build Weapon” tab you can install numerous different “Modifications” to the weapon’s optics, muzzles, magazines, stocks, and ammunition types. You can select up to five modifications at any time and can also swap out the gun’s receiver—essentially its core that everything else attaches to—for others in the weapon’s Platform family. (Note that not all weapon modifications within the same platform are intercompatible.)
After making Gunsmith changes, you can jump directly into the Firing Range to test out the look and feel of the new modifications. It loads in pretty quick too, so while you can’t directly A/B compare certain mods, you can still get a nice feel for each selection without spending forever trapped behind a loading screen.
Each modification affects stats in unique ways, and there are specific pros and cons to each. The 419MM EXF Barrel, for example, will boost your Damage Range, Hip Fire Accuracy, and Bullet Velocity (Pros), but at the cost of Aim Down Sight Speed and Hip Recoil Control (Cons).
The second tab in the Gunsmith interface is “Customize.” This is where you can apply different weapon charms, skins, stickers, and more such things. Each camo skin will have different requirements, but it’s very similar to unlocking attachments: Just earn weapon XP by scoring kills and completing specific challenges noted under each camo skin. There are also Weapon Mastery challenges for you to complete once you’ve unlocked Gold, Platinum, Polyatomic, and Orion skins.
The higher you level up a specific weapon, the more attachments you’ll gain access to. Once you hit max level with a specific weapon, you can start tuning those attachments to take even greater control over its performance.
Screenshot: Activision / Kotaku
Weapon tuning in Modern Warfare II
Weapon tuning lets you further tweak the pros and cons of each attachment. Remember, you need to hit level 20 with a specific weapon in order to tune the modifications.
You can’t tune every attachment, but ones you can will offer two sets of sliders that let you go all in on a weapon’s strengths, or walk back the cons a bit. Keep in mind that these are all fine-tuning adjustments. If you want to max out your Aim Down Sights Speed, for example, you’re better off going with modifications that prioritize that as opposed to trying to make up for slower ADS speeds via Weapon Tuning. That said, the high TTK rate of Modern Warfare II means that even the finest adjustments can make a difference in the heat of the moment.
The image on the right side uses weapon tuning to compensate for a slower aim-down-sights speed.Gif: Activision / Kotaku
Weapon tuning is really best taken advantage of once you’ve gotten a good sense of the guns and modifications you like. This stage of weapon customization is more an art than a science, so expect to take your time figuring out what works best for you.
Weapon leveling in Modern Warfare II
Maxing out your weapons is one of the game’s major goals, and you’ll make the most progress on guns you actively use. Keeping a gun holstered or slung over your shoulder won’t cut it; to level up a gun you need to be out there using it to put lead into your enemies.
With so many weapon choices, it’s not a bad idea to stick to a couple of guns, two or three at most, when starting out. Playing with the Overkill Perk equipped (available with the Assault preset package) is a good way to see how it feels to wield two primary guns at once.
Screenshot: Activision / Kotaku
Don’t forget to take advantage of Weapon XP boosts as well. You can select these in the multiplayer matchmaking screen. Be careful though, as your XP boosts count down in real-time outside of matches. That in mind, it’s best to save XP boosts for use in playlists which aren’t as heavy in wait times.
Quick Play and Ground War typically have quicker queues. However, keep in mind that the 32v32 modes such as Ground War might have you engaging in gunfights less frequently as you’ll often spend time moving between objectives. On the other hand, that can be a good opportunity to level up a sniper or marksman rifle as you’ll have more distance to work with. If you’re looking to level up close-range weapons like shotguns, smaller 6v6 games might be your best bet, but your mileage may vary.
One thing I like to do is set aside a loadout specifically for weapon leveling. Label it “Leveling” and just use that to swap in whatever guns you want to progress, leaving your main loadouts untouched and free to select when you wish to change up your playing style in a match.
If you swap out a gun in a loadout you plan to use regularly, all modifications will reset, which isn’t ideal. A dedicated “Leveling” loadout will let you prioritize your remaining nine loadout selections with the guns, modifications, and tunings you prefer. You may also wish to prioritize certain Perks that can make leveling a bit easier. Overkill, for example, will let you have two Primary weapons on the field, so you can make progress with two at once (though again, you need to be actively using a given gun to earn Weapon XP on it.) I also like to have Fast Hands equipped for a leveling loadout, as it allows for quicker swaps between guns, helpful when you’re trying to give both a workout. Scavenger is another good Perk to have for leveling guns, since you’ll be able to source more ammo during a game.
Modern Warfare II did not disappoint when it comes to delivering a ton of fun weaponry to shoot and blow shit up. Spend a bit of time kitting out your guns, and you’ll likely play better and look cooler while out there on the field. And once you have a feel for the weapons and modifications you prefer, don’t forget to give weapon tuning a shot to further tweak how the game feels for you.
