Federal Jury Convicts Lincoln County Man Of Federal Gun Crime
Thursday, November 7, 2024, 1:00 P.M. ET. 1 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
HUNTINGTON, W. VA.- U.S. Attorney Will Thompson reported that following a two-day trial in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, a federal jury found Michael Allen Kenney, 53, of Hamlin, West Virginia, guilty of Being a Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
According to the evidence presented at trial, the jury found beyond a reasonable doubt that on May 17, 2023, Putnam County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 emergency call at a video poker parlor in Poca, West Virginia, and encountered Kenney.
During the encounter, a Sheriff’s Officer observed Kenney reach into his waistband and retrieve a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun. Officers quickly seized the handgun and placed Kenney under arrest.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Kenney knew he was prohibited from possessing a handgun due to his previous convictions, including convictions for possession of a stolen vehicle in Kanawha County Circuit Court on October 27, 2017, being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm in Mason County Circuit Court on August 5, 2014, and fleeing with reckless indifference in Putnam County Circuit on February 11, 2014.
Following the jury’s finding of guilt, U.S. District Court Judge Robert C. Chambers accepted the verdict and filed it with the court. Judge Chambers scheduled sentencing for February 24, 2025, at which time Kenney faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
