DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Southern District of West Virginia

For Immediate Release

Monday, July 22, 2019
Michael B. Stuart
, United States Attorney
Contact: Deanna Eder

Charleston Man Sentenced for Gun Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Charleston man was sentenced today to a total of 44 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and violating his federal supervised release conditions, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Antoine Brown was sentenced to 36 months in prison on the gun charge and received another 8 months in prison for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release. The Court ordered these two sentences to be served consecutively.  The investigation was conducted by the Charleston Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

 On December 16, 2018, Brown was driving a vehicle south on US 119 and was pulled over because an officer smelled burnt marijuana emanating from his vehicle at the intersection of US 119 and Oakwood Road.  Brown moved a 9mm Taurus pistol from the center console of the vehicle and put it under a child’s car seat located in the back seat of the car. The firearm was loaded and operable. Brown’s child was seated in the backseat. Officers searched the vehicle and located the subject firearm.  Brown is prohibiting from possessing firearms because he has previously been convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter and Distribution of Heroin.

 United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders handled the prosecution.

 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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Louisville Field Division