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ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA - Ten individuals were recently sentenced in United States
District Court in Elkins by Chief Judge John Preston Bailey.
United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced that:
CHRISTOPHER WAYNE WILLIAMS, age 39, of Mill Creek, West Virginia, was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. WILLIAMS entered a plea of guilty on April 17, 2013, to “Felon in Possession of a Firearm." WILLIAMS possessed a firearm on March 15, 2013, despite having a prior felony conviction from the Circuit Court of Cabell County for Burglary. WILLIAMS’ sentence was enhanced due to his possession of stolen firearms in connection with the offense of burglary. WILLIAMS was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation to a Federal institution.
This case was prosecuted by Criminal Chief Shawn A. Morgan and investigated by the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
WILLIAM JOSEPH RUSSELL, age 39, of Cass, West Virginia, was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. RUSSELL entered a plea of guilty on February 7, 2013, to “Possession of Material Used in the Manufacture of Methamphetamine." RUSSELL, who is free on bond, will self-report to the designated Federal institution. This case was investigated by the West Virginia State Police and the Pocahontas County Sheriff’s Office
VELAIR VON COLLINS, II, age 42, of Elkins, West Virginia, was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. COLLINS entered a plea of guilty on March 27, 2013, to “Felon in Possession of a Firearm." COLLINS, having previously been convicted in the Circuit Court of Randolph County, West Virginia, of the felony offense of Driving Under the Influence-Third Offense, knowingly possessed a Harrington & Richardson shotgun and a Marlin rifle on September 4, 2012, in Elkins. COLLINS, who is free on bond, will self-report to the designated Federal institution. This case was investigated by the Elkins Police Department and the West Virginia State Police.
These two cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen D. Warner.
TIMOTHY WAYNE WALDEN, age 36, of Bayard, West Virginia, was sentenced to
41 months imprisonment to be followed by 20 years of supervised release. WALDEN entered a plea of guilty on April 16, 2013, to “Failure to Update Sex Offender Registration." From Nov. 12, 2012, to Jan. 17, 2013, in Bayard, West Virginia, WALDEN knowingly failed to update a registration pursuant to the Sex Offender Notification Act. WALDEN was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation to a Federal institution. This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
RONALD JOHN LOUK, age 30, of Churchsville, Virginia,was sentenced to 37 months imprisonment to be followed by 20 years of supervised release. LOUK entered a plea of guilty on March 27, 2013, to “Failure to Update Sex Offender Registration." During the period October 20 to Nov. 21, 2012, LOUK, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Notification Act and who traveled in interstate commerce, did knowingly fail to update his registration. LOUK was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation to a Federal institution. This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the West Virginia State Police.
These two cases were prosecuted by Criminal Chief Shawn A. Morgan.
BRANDON EDWARD ANDERSON, age 23, of Rock Cave, West Virginia, was sentenced to 37 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. ANDERSON was also ordered to make restitution in the amount of $2,496 to the Drug Enforcement Administration for the meth lab clean up. ANDERSON entered a plea of guilty on April 16, 2013, to two counts of “Possession of Pseudoephedrine to be Used in the Manufacture of Methamphetamine." ANDERSON was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation to a Federal institution. This case was investigated by the West Virginia State Police.
BRIAN KEITH HAMMER, age 51, of Elkins, was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. HAMMER entered a plea of guilty on Dec. 11, 2012, to “Possession of Pseudoephedrine to be Used in the Manufacture of Methamphetamine." HAMMER, who is free on bond, will self-report to the designated Federal institution. This case was investigated by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Department and the West Virginia State Police.
These two cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen D. Warner.
JANEL PHILLIPS, age 45, of Belington, West Virginia, was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, with the first 5 months being served in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons and the second 5 months being served under home detention. PHILLIPS was also ordered to make restitution in the amount of $85,327.74 to Legal Aid of West Virginia. PHILLIPS entered a plea of guilty on March 27, 2013, to “Federal Program Fraud." From January of 2007 to May of 2010, PHILLIPS, while working as a ombudsman for Legal Aid of West Virginia, submitted false mileage claims and time sheets to fraudulently obtain over $90,000 from the federally funded Long-Term Care Ombudsman Fund. PHILLIPS, who is free on bond, will self-report to the designated Federal institution. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew R. Cogar and investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Legal Services Corporation-Office of Inspector General.
TIFFANY ROACH, age 24, of Lewis County, West Virginia, was sentenced to 5 years probation. ROACH entered a plea of guilty on Dec. 13, 2012, to “Providing a False Statement to a Federal Firearms Licensee in the Acquisition of a Firearm". This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zelda E. Wesley and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Weston Police Department.
HUNTER TURNER, age 20, of Circleville, West Virginia, was sentenced to 5 years probation. TURNER entered a plea of guilty on July 9, 2012, to “Possession of Pseudoephedrine to be Used in the Manufacture of Methamphetamine." TURNER completed a drug rehabilitation program at the Anthony Center while waiting for his sentencing hearing. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen D. Warner and investigated by the West Virginia State Police and the United States Forest Service/Homeland Security Investigations.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
