CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Two Project Guardian defendants appeared in federal court this week on gun charges, according to United States Attorney Mike Stuart.
Brashan Beverly, 32, of Dunbar, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Beverly previously admitted that on Jan. 3, 2019, he possessed a SCCY, Model CPX-2, 9mm semi-automatic pistol in Tornado. At the time he possessed the firearm, he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior drug conviction. 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 imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams and former Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders handled the prosecution.
Patrick Napier, 48, of Logan County, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Napier admitted that a United States Probation Officer who was conducting a home inspection found that he had a High Point.40 caliber rifle in his bedroom. At the time, Napier was still on supervised release as a result of his conviction for a federal drug crime. Napier faces up to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release when he is sentenced on Oct. 13, 2020. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Chris R. Arthur is 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 noted above. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-00066 (Beverly) and Case No. 2:20-cr-00065 (Napier).
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
