WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - Derek Schultz, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was arraigned today on a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Schultz, age 53, was indicted by a federal grand sitting in Wheeling on April 2, 2019 on one count of “Prohibited Possession of a Machinegun" and one count of “Unlawful Possession of N.F.A. Firearm." Schultz is accused of having an unregistered.30 caliber machine gun in January 2019 in Ohio County.
Schultz faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. 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.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wheeling Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
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
