MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - Thomas Dale Sims, Jr., 34, of Gerrardstown, West Virginia, pled guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm in federal court today, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Sims, who had previously been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, was discovered in possession of a 12 gauge shotgun in October 2015. He pled guilty to one count of “Possession of a Firearm by a Person Convicted of a Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence."
He faces up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. 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 M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
