CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Dunbar, West Virginia man pled guilty to a federal firearms charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Brian M. Oliver, 22, entered a guilty plea today to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Mr. Oliver faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 13, 2019. Stuart praised the work of the Dunbar Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Enforcement (ATF).
“Persons with domestic violence convictions are prohibited from possessing firearms," said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Why? Because they have proven to be violent. We are laser focused on removing violent offenders from our communities, and prosecuting prohibited persons in possession of guns is a key part of our crime reduction strategy."
On April 29, 2018, officers with the Dunbar Police Department stopped a truck for an infraction. Oliver was a passenger in the truck. During the course of the traffic stop, Oliver admitted that he had a firearm on his person. Dunbar officers subsequently patted down Oliver and recovered an Iver Johnson.22 caliber pistol in his front pants pocket. Record checks revealed Oliver had been convicted of the misdemeanor offense of Domestic Battery in Kanawha County Magistrate Court in January 2017, and also of Second Offense Domestic Battery in March 2017. These domestic violence convictions resulted in Oliver being prohibited from carrying a firearm. Oliver admitted to the police officers that he possessed the firearm and was not supposed to do so. The ATF traced the gun, revealing that it had traveled in interstate commerce.
Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is handling the prosecution. The hearing was held before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
