Snow Camp woman charged in gun case tied to convicted felon

Alamance County investigators charged a Snow Camp woman after tracing firearms they say she bought to a convicted felon’s possession case involving her husband, Charles William Heavener II.

Amanda Kristen Heavener, 43, was charged May 12 with one count of felony aid and abet, according to the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies took her into custody May 13 and transported her to the Alamance County Detention Center. Her bond was set at $10,000 unsecured, meaning she could be released without posting cash but remains under court conditions.

The case began Feb. 9, 2026, when deputies started investigating Charles William Heavener II of Snow Camp for firearm possession. As detectives reviewed records and traced the weapons, they concluded that several of the firearms had been purchased by Amanda Kristen Heavener. The public report does not identify the guns, say how many were bought by her, or state that any of the firearms were used in a shooting.

The charge matters because North Carolina law makes it unlawful for a person convicted of a felony to purchase, own, possess, or have custody, care or control of any firearm. In plain terms, prosecutors can use an aid and abet case to reach someone who helps a prohibited person get access to guns, even if that person is not the one who is directly caught holding the weapon. That is why purchase records, transfer history and possession records can become central evidence in these cases.

The investigation also fits a broader local pattern. Alamance County law enforcement has said 194 firearms were taken off the streets over a 12-month period, and Burlington Police Chief Alon Balog has said officers were seeing juveniles, some as young as 12 to 16, carrying guns. Those numbers have put added pressure on investigators to use records, tracing and forensic tools to connect guns to people and crimes.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says its National Tracing Center is the country’s only crime-gun tracing facility and that tracing can identify the origin and last known retail purchaser of a crime gun. The agency says that process can provide investigative leads and help track down the source of weapons tied to criminal cases. Alamance County’s use of those tools in past firearm investigations shows why this case is being treated as more than a simple possession stop.