U.S. Attorney William S. Thompson | U.S. Department of Justice
Eddie Wayne Chapman Jr., a 39-year-old resident of St. Albans, has entered a guilty plea to the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The plea was made in Charleston, West Virginia.
Court documents and statements reveal that on July 18, 2024, law enforcement seized a backpack belonging to Chapman. He admitted that the backpack contained a loaded Smith & Wesson SD9 VE 9mm pistol, two ammunition magazines, and approximately 65 grams of controlled substances containing fentanyl.
Federal law prohibits individuals with prior felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition. Chapman acknowledged his awareness of this prohibition due to his previous felony convictions. These include being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on October 23, 2017, as well as conspiracy to operate a clandestine drug laboratory in Kanawha County Circuit Court on September 30, 2010.
Chapman's sentencing is scheduled for March 10, 2025. He faces up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson announced the guilty plea and praised the investigative efforts of the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office. The hearing was overseen by United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is handling the prosecution.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy for PSN focusing on community trust and legitimacy, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes.
Further details can be accessed via PACER by searching Case No. 2:24-cr-193 or through the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia's website.
