Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Kanawha County man pleaded guilty today to two federal gun crimes. Tevin Williams, 27, of Charleston, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 5, 2019, Williams was driving on Rt. 60 in Belle when he was pulled over and removed from the car by law enforcement officers. A K-9 unit alerted to the presence of drugs in the car.  During a search of his car, officers located a Ruger 9mm pistol, ammunition and a small black safe.  Officers also located $2,293 in U.S. currency, over 100 empty plastic baggies and approximately 93 grams of methamphetamine.  Williams admitted he was carrying the firearm to protect his drugs and cash.

On November 6, 2019, Williams traveled to a home in Putnam County and knocked on the door.  After being turned away at the door, Williams turned around and fired three to four shots at the residence and then drove away.  Nine days later on November 15, 2019, Williams was driving in South Charleston when he was pulled over and removed from the car by law enforcement officers. At that time, he was wearing two shoulder holsters.  Officers located two firearms under the front seat of the car, both of which were Hi Point 9mm pistols.  Williams is prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of his 2013 first degree robbery conviction in Kanawha County Circuit Court.  The pistols seized from Williams on November 15 were examined at the West Virginia State Police Laboratory and one of those pistols was identified as matching one of the shell casings recovered by law enforcement from the Putnam County residence on November 6, 2019.

Williams faces at least five years and up to life in prison when sentenced on July 8, 2021.

“Excellent work by all the law enforcement agencies involved,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston.  “This conviction is the result of a joint investigation conducted by the South Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, the Belle Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).”

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney L. Alexander Hamner is handling the prosecution.

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. 2:21-cr-00038 and 20-cr-00048.

###