North Carolina pastor arrested for gun, drug possession at Las Vegas Strip hotel

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) — Las Vegas police arrested a North Carolina pastor last month after finding several drugs and guns in his Strip hotel room.

David McGee, of Greenville, North Carolina, is charged with possession and transportation of drugs, as well as carrying a firearm while committing drug-related charges.

According to an arrest report obtained by FOX5, McGee called Strat Hotel security to report missing property around 1:50 p.m. McGee reportedly told officers he had a gun in his guitar case inside his room.

Security officers then arrested McGee and took him to a holding room. The report also states that McGee had previously brought a shotgun into his hotel room, which officers asked him to remove or leave the premises.

Fearing an active shooter situation due to the type of weapon found and the elevation of his hotel room, security officers alerted the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

According to the report, McGee told LVMPD investigators that he had gone to town to locate his daughter, whom he described as “not well” due to ongoing mental health issues and drug use.

He also refused police requests to search his hotel room safe, before later admitting they would find fentanyl powder and pills there. He added that he intended to give the pills to his daughter once he found her.

A search of his hotel room uncovered two plastic bags of marijuana, a black and silver scale with residue, marijuana-infused brownies and cookies, and fentanyl pills and powder inside the safe. Police also found an AR-15 long-range rifle with a scope in McGee’s guitar case, along with two handguns and a bulletproof vest.

McGee was released on condition of staying out of trouble. He is due back in court on December 19, 2024, for a status review.