CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Defendants in three separate Project Guardian cases appeared in federal court this week announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.
Bari Myricks, 47, of Dunbar, was sentenced to 96 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 40 or more grams of fentanyl and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Myricks previously admitted that on May 7, 2018, the vehicle he was driving was stopped by law enforcement officers due to a traffic violation. He further admitted that after a police K-9 trained in drug detection indicated narcotics were present in his vehicle, police conducted a search of his vehicle, finding heroin in a plastic bag. Officers with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) later searched Myricks’ residence on Roxalana Road, finding over 100 grams of fentanyl, marijuana, over $12,000 in cash and two firearms. Myricks knew he was prohibited from possessing the firearms due to prior felony convictions. MDENT conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Tessman handled the prosecution.
Clayton Cato, 36, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. On Nov. 20, 2018, Cato was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped on the East End of Charleston for a defective light. Upon officers approaching the vehicle, they smelled marijuana. All occupants were asked to step out of the vehicle. Cato stepped out of the vehicle and ran from the traffic stop on foot. While fleeing, he put his hands near his hoody pocket and was apprehended. During a pat-down for officer safety, officers located a Smith & Wesson 32 caliber pistol. Cato admitted he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a 2003 felony conviction for distribution of cocaine base. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders handled the prosecution.
Brashan Beverly, 32, of Dunbar, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Beverly admitted that on Jan. 3, 2019, he possessed a firearm, that is a SCCY, Model CPX-2, 9mm semi-automatic pistol, in Tornado, Kanawha County, West Virginia. At the time he possessed the firearm, he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior drug conviction. Beverly faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on May 11, 2020. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, and the Nitro Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Saunders and Joseph F. Adams are handling the prosecution.
These cases are part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted these cases with support from the Project Guardian partners referenced above. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
