Larry Joe Chapman, a 44-year-old resident of St. Albans, has admitted guilt to the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The incident that led to this plea occurred on March 28, 2024, when law enforcement responded to a shoplifting report at a business on MacCorkle Avenue in South Charleston. Upon arrival, officers found Chapman in the storage room holding a knife. He was arrested and searched, leading to the discovery of a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard .380-caliber pistol and merchandise from the store.

Federal law prohibits individuals with prior felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition. Chapman's previous convictions include breaking and entering a building other than a dwelling on February 5, 2018, and conspiracy related to operating an illegal drug laboratory for methamphetamine production on November 8, 2013. Both offenses were adjudicated in Kanawha County Circuit Court.

Chapman is set for sentencing on May 8, 2025. He could face up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine reaching $250,000.

United States Attorney Will Thompson announced Chapman's guilty plea and praised the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) alongside the South Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing while Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Marsh is handling prosecution duties.

This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and community groups. The Department's strategy emphasizes building trust within communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes.

For more details about this case or related documents under Case No. 2:24-cr-125 can be accessed via PACER or through the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia.