Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Firearms Charge
Friday, December 13, 2024, 1:45 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
BECKLEY, W.VA.- On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, Brian K. Trent, 29, of Bradley, West Virginia, appeared in the 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.
According to U.S. Attorney Will Thompson and charging documents filed with the District Court, on September 12, 2023, Police Officers responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in the Stanaford area of Raleigh County, West Virginia. Upon arrival at the location, Police Officers encountered Trent and another individual in the reported vehicle.
During the subsequent encounter, Police Officers learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen out of South Carolina and that Trent was wanted on an active warrant for a misdemeanor charge and a parole violation. Police Officers also noticed a firearm between the driver’s seat and the center console of the vehicle.
Police Officers Find Five Guns
Police Officers then searched Trent and the vehicle and found a Taurus G2 9mm handgun, a North American .22-caliber magnum revolver, a Marlin .22-caliber rifle, a Noble 12-gauge shotgun, and a Taurus .32-caliber revolver.
Under federal law, a person with a prior felony conviction is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms and ammunition.
During Wednesday’s plea allocution, Trent admitted he knew he was a prohibited person because of his November 2016 felony conviction for destruction of property in Raleigh County Circuit Court.
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Following entering his guilty plea, Judge Aboulhosn accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for April 4, 2025, at which time Trent faces up to 15 years in federal prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The actual term of imprisonment at sentencing will be determined by a U.S. District Court Judge based on the seriousness of the offense and Trent’s prior criminal history.
