Kanawha County Man Sentenced For Federal Gun Crime
Friday, November 22, 2024, 7:15 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
CHARLESTON, W.VA.- A 38-year-old Kanawha County, West Virginia, man will be spending nearly a year in federal prison for brandishing a firearm at a local Charleston bar.
On Thursday, November 21, 2024, Joseph Douglas Collier, 38, of Alum Creek, West Virginia, appeared in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Irene C. Berger to 8 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for his previously entered guilty plea to Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm.
According to U.S. Attorney Will Thompson and documents filed with the court, on November 11, 2023, Collier was standing on the sidewalk outside of a downtown Charleston bar holding an open container of alcohol. The bar’s bouncer asked Collier to return to the bar with the alcoholic beverage. Collier responded by lifting his sweater, revealing a handgun in his waistband.
Collier Pulls Out Gun On Bar’s Bouncer
   Collier pulled out the handgun at the bouncer, who retreated into the bar to protect the patrons and employees and notified authorities. Responding Police Officers located Collier at another nearby bar and seized a Kimber Tactical Pro II .45-caliber handgun from Collier during a pat-down search. Collier was taken into custody, and during the arrest procedure, Police Officers learned that Collier had previously been convicted of a felony.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from owning or possessing a firearm or ammunition. Collier knew he was a prohibited person due to his conviction for Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance in Kanawha County Circuit Court in January 2010.
