CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A Charleston felon who possessed a firearm in April 2017 was sentenced today to 71 months -- almost six years -- in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Brandon Cantrell, 32, previously pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States Attorney Stuart commended the investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department.
“As part of our efforts to reduce gun crimes committed on Charleston’s West Side, we are aggressively prosecuting convicted felons and other prohibited persons that possess firearms," said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.
Cantrell admitted that on April 20, 2017, he possessed a Hi-Point, model C-9, 9mm pistol at a residence on Charleston’s West Side. Cantrell is prohibited from possessing any firearms under federal law because of a 2008 felony conviction in the Circuit Court of Kanawha County for breaking and entering.
Assistant United States Attorney Matt Davis was in charge of the prosecution. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. handed down the sentence.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
