Matthew L. Farmer, a 33-year-old resident of Charleston, has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Following his prison term, he will also undergo three years of supervised release.

The incident occurred on November 8, 2023, when law enforcement officers encountered Farmer while patrolling Charleston’s West Side. According to court documents and statements made in court, officers suspected Farmer was carrying a firearm. Upon inquiry, Farmer admitted having a firearm in his back pocket. Officers then retrieved an FIE model Titan .25-caliber handgun from him, which had a magazine containing seven rounds of ammunition.

Federal law prohibits individuals with prior felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition. Farmer was aware of this prohibition due to his previous felony convictions for first-degree robbery on October 7, 2015, in Monongalia County Circuit Court and grand larceny on January 26, 2011, in Wetzel County Circuit Court.

United States Attorney Will Thompson announced the sentencing and praised the efforts of the Charleston Police Department-Special Enforcement Unit (SEU) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for their investigative work.

The sentence was imposed by Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence by bringing together law enforcement agencies and communities. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a strategy to strengthen PSN with core principles such as fostering community trust and legitimacy, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results.

For more information on this case or related court documents, visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia's website or search PACER using Case No. 2:23-cr-202.