×

Ritchie County man pleads guilty to gun possession charge

(Court Reports - Photo Illustration/MetroCreativeConnection)

CHARLESTON — A Ritchie County man pleaded guilty Monday to a federal gun crime in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.

Charles Dana Johnson II, 36, Cairo, admitted he possessed a loaded SCCY model DVG-1 9mm pistol and a loaded Walther model P22 .22-caliber pistol that an officer found in Johnson’s waistband during a Nov. 17, 2024, traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Johnson in Parkersburg, Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston said.

Johnson pleaded to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Johnson knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession with intent to deliver heroin on Oct. 2, 2016, and first-degree robbery on Jan. 12, 2012, both in Wood County Circuit Court, Johnston said.

Sentencing is scheduled in October. Johnson faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

Johnston commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wood County Sheriff’s Office.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today