Dylan James Pettyjohn, 21, of Huntington, was sentenced on July 16 to one year and six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for selling a firearm to a convicted felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Pettyjohn sold a Calwest model J-22 .22-caliber pistol to a confidential informant for $150 on April 23, 2025. As part of his guilty plea, Pettyjohn admitted that he arranged the transaction beforehand and was told by the informant during the sale that the buyer was a convicted felon. The transaction took place at the Huntington residence of Erin Leigh Keeney.
Pettyjohn also admitted to selling additional firearms: a Glock model 34 9mm pistol for $600 on May 13, 2025, and a Just Right Carbines model JR Carbine 9mm rifle for $650 on May 22, 2025. Both sales were made to the same confidential informant in Huntington.
Pettyjohn and Keeney are among seven individuals indicted following a federal investigation into drug trafficking in the Huntington area. All seven defendants pleaded guilty. Keeney is scheduled to be sentenced on September 28 after pleading guilty to distribution of carfentanil.
United States Attorney Moore Capito announced the sentence and commended investigative work by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Huntington Police Department, and Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence, and Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative aiming to use Department of Justice resources against illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime.