ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA - A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging convicted domestic violence offender Adam Bradford Linch, 35, of Nutter Fort, West Virginia, with unlawful possession of firearms, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
In August 2005, the Circuit Court of Duval County, Florida issued a domestic violence protective order against Linch. Further, he was convicted of “Domestic Battery" in February 2010 in the Magistrate Court of Harrison County, West Virginia. As a result of these prior offenses, Linch is prohibited from possessing a firearm. He was discovered in March 2015 in Harrison County, West Virginia in possession of a.45 caliber pistol and ammunition.
Linch is charged with:
• One count of “Possession of a Firearm by a Person Convicted of a Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence," and
• One count of “Possession of a Firearm by a Person Subject to a Domestic Violence Protective Order."
He faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the two counts. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Adkins is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Clarksburg, West Virginia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
