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CHARLESTON -- A Parkersburg man pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal drug and firearms charges related to the trafficking of methamphetamine and the possession of a firearm while involved in the crime, United States Attorney Mike Stuart said.
James Daniel Canty, 60, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
"A gun-toting meth dealer with six prior felony convictions," Stuart said. "Bad actors like Canty endanger our communities and that's why we are laser-focused on making sure the traffickers and the wrong-doers are caught and prosecuted."
Canty admitted that on Nov. 30, 2019, following a traffic stop by the Parkersburg Police Department on Plum Street near Jefferson Elementary School, he was found to be in possession of approximately 55 grams of methamphetamine as well as a loaded .25 caliber semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number and a box of .25 caliber ammunition.
Canty further admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine that he possessed, and that he possessed the firearm for the purpose of protecting himself and the methamphetamine that he was carrying. Canty has a long criminal history, which includes six prior felony convictions. Canty faces up to life in prison when sentenced on September 21, 2020.
The Parkersburg Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is handling the prosecution.
The case is being prosecuted as part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice's initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.