Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marquette Damon Eanes, 50, of Huntington, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Eanes admitted that he ran from law enforcement officers when they approached him on the 300 block of Olive Street in Huntington on December 12, 2019. The officers caught Eanes after a brief chase and recovered approximately 26 grams of methamphetamine from Eanes’ right vest pocket, a loaded Ruger 9mm pistol from his waistband, and a loaded Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver from his right pants leg. Eanes admitted that he intended to sell the methamphetamine and that he possessed the firearms to protect himself while selling it.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Eanes knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his conviction for using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime on February 3, 1998, and his two convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm, on June 28, 2004, and May 25, 2011, all in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-306.