CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A federal jury convicted an Akron, Ohio man yesterday after a day-long trial, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. The jury found Devon Alexander, 30, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm on Aug. 16, 2018.
“An Akron felon with a gun in Charleston," said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “This has become an all too common occurrence, particularly in Charleston and Huntington. Federal gun laws are straight-forward - persons convicted of felonies, whether they be federal or state offenses, are prohibited from possessing firearms. I applaud the work of the law enforcement agencies involved and my entire team for their work in securing this conviction."
Alexander was previously indicted on a single count of being a felon in possession of a firearm due to previous convictions for tampering with evidence and having weapons under disability in Summit County, Ohio. At trial, evidence revealed that during a search of a house in Charleston, police witnessed Alexander toss a Citadel 1911 semi-automatic handgun into the yard while attempting to flee.
Alexander faces up to ten years in prison when sentenced on March 5, 2020.
The investigation was the result of a joint effort by the Metro Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the West Virginia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the trial. Assistant United States Attorneys Stefan Hasselblad and Monica Coleman handled the prosecution.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
