Christian Elliott, a 21-year-old resident of Parkersburg, has been sentenced to three years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Following his prison term, Elliott will also serve three years of supervised release.

The sentencing comes after an incident on April 2, 2024, when authorities conducted a search of Elliott's residence as part of his probation supervision. The search uncovered multiple firearms including a loaded Glock model 43X 9mm pistol and a loaded Diamondback firearms model DB-15 multi-caliber pistol. Additionally, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, scales, and $6,717 were found at the residence. Elliott admitted to possessing the firearms.

Federal law prohibits individuals with prior felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition. Elliott was aware of this restriction due to his previous felony conviction for failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer in Lucas County, Ohio.

Further investigation revealed that Elliott maintained a social media page featuring photos of himself with large quantities of marijuana, cash, and multiple firearms. He admitted to investigators that he was holding half a pound of marijuana in the photos and claimed he possessed the firearms for protection while selling marijuana.

United States Attorney Will Thompson announced the sentence and praised the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for their investigative work. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum and former Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Department launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021.