Ricky Steve John, a 50-year-old resident of Charleston, West Virginia, has been sentenced to three years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Following his prison term, he will undergo three years of supervised release.

Court documents reveal that on March 20, 2024, law enforcement responded to a break-in report at a church in Charleston's West Side neighborhood. John was detained by an officer who found him in the vicinity. Upon discovering an outstanding warrant against him, the officer arrested John. While in custody, an unloaded Ruger model EC9 9mm semiautomatic pistol fell from John's pant leg.

Federal law prohibits individuals with prior felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition. John was aware of this restriction due to his previous felony conviction for voluntary manslaughter in Kanawha County Circuit Court on July 21, 2016.

John's criminal history includes convictions for aggravated vehicular assault, theft, and weapon possession. Investigations into the current offense revealed that he possessed three different firearms over six weeks, which he traded or attempted to trade for drugs or other firearms. Two of these firearms were reported stolen from vehicles on Charleston’s West Side.

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

The sentence was imposed by Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr., while Assistant United States Attorneys Samuel D. Marsh and Alexander A. Redmon prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Department launched a strategy on May 26, 2021, to enhance PSN by focusing on building community trust and legitimacy, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.

For more information about this case or related court documents search Case No. 2:24-cr-136 on PACER or visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia.