Ritchie County Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Firearms Violation
Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 6:45 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
CHARLESTON, W.VA.- A 36-year-old Cairo, West Virginia, man, when sentenced, will be facing up to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty on Monday to unlawfully possessing a firearm by a convicted felon.
On Monday, June 9, 2025, Charles Dana Johnson, II, 36, of Cairo, West Virginia, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Irene C. Berger to being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm, Convicted Felon.
Judge Berger Schedules Sentencing For October 2, 2025
Following entering his guilty plea yesterday, Judge Berger accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for October 2, 2025. At that time, Johnson faces a maximum term of 15 years in federal prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. At sentencing, a U.S. District Court Judge will determine the term of imprisonment based on the seriousness of the offense and Johnson’s prior criminal history.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston and charging documents filed with the District Court, on November 17, 2024, a member of Wood County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a motor vehicle being operated by Johnson in Parkersburg, West Virginia. During the traffic stop, the Sheriff’s Officer located an SCCY 9mm handgun and a loaded Walther .22-caliber pistol. A subsequent records check revealed that Johnson had prior felony convictions.
During Monday’s plea allocution, Johson admitted that he knew on November 17, 2024, when he possessed the two handguns, that he was a prohibited person due to his prior felony convictions for possession with intent to deliver heroin on October 2, 2016, and first-degree robbery on January 12, 2012, both in Wood County Circuit Court.
Acting U.S. Attorney Johnston commended the investigative work of the Wood County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, which led to Johnson’sguilty plea.
