Justin Antonio Jones, 40, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced on June 4 to six years and five months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on September 29, 2024, in Mingo County, West Virginia. During the stop, officers heard what they believed was the sound of a slide moving on a semi-automatic firearm coming from another vehicle parked nearby. Officers investigated and encountered Jones standing by that vehicle. When directed to show his hands, Jones ignored the officers and began walking away. Officers observed Jones place an object beneath the passenger side front tire of the vehicle and recovered a Keltec model PF-9 9mm pistol from that location.
Federal law prohibits individuals with prior felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition. Court records indicate that Jones knew he was prohibited due to previous felony convictions for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance on October 27, 2008, and May 22, 2012, both in Mingo County Circuit Court. He also has four additional felony convictions related to drug offenses and was serving probation imposed in Kentucky at the time of this offense.
United States Attorney Moore Capito announced the sentence and commended the investigative work conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) along with the Mingo County Sheriff’s Office. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence, while Assistant United States Attorney D. Keith Randolph prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative utilizing Department of Justice resources aimed at combating illegal immigration as well as eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators.