Charleston Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Firearms Crime
Saturday, November 2, 2024, 11:45 A.M. ET. 1 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
CHARLESTON, W.VA.- On Thursday, October 31, 2024, Ricky Steve John, 50, of Charleston, West Virginia, appeared in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Court Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., to a Being a Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
According to U.S. Attorney Will Thompson and court documents, on March 20, 2024, John possessed a loaded Ruger EC9 9mm semiautomatic handgun concealed in his pants in Charleston, West Virginia.
John Knew His Was Prohibited From Possessing A Firearm
Under federal law, a person with a prior felony conviction is prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm or ammunition. During John’s plea allocution, he admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his prior felony conviction for voluntary manslaughter in Kanawha County Circut Court in July 2016.
During Thursday’s plea hearing, Judge Copenhaver accepted John’s guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for January 29, 2025, at which time John faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Thompson commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department Special Enforcement Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for the investigation, arrest, and John’s guilty plea.
