Fayette County Man Pleads Guilty To Unlawfully Possessing Pistol
Monday, November 25, 2024, 6:30 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
BECKLEY, W.VA.- On Tuesday, November 19, 2024, Bryson J. England, 42, of Oak Hill, West Virginia, appeared in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn to Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm; Convicted Felon.
According to U.S. Attorney Will Thompson and charging documents filed with the court, on February 2, 2024, Mr. England was a passenger in a motor vehicle pulled over by West Virginia State Police in the Beckley area of Raleigh County, West Virginia.
During the traffic stop, State Troopers conducted a pat-down search of Mr. England and found a .45-caliber handgun on his person. During a subsequent search of the motor vehicle, State Troopers found an AR-15-Style semiautomatic rifle tucked in along the seat on the passenger’s side of the vehicle.
Under federal law, a person previously convicted of a felony is prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm or ammunition. England knew on February 2, 2024, that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his prior felony conviction for unlawfully wounding of a person in Kanawha County Circuit Court in January 2003.
Following his guilty plea on Tuesday, Judge Aboulhosn accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for March 14, 2025, at which time England faces up to 15 years in federal prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The actual term of imprisonment will be determined by a U.S. District Court Judge based on the seriousness of the offense and England’s prior criminal history.
U.S. Attorney Thompson commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for the successful prosecution of England.
