William S. Thompson U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia
Myles Robert Williams, a 37-year-old resident of Beckley, West Virginia, has been sentenced to eight years and four months in prison. This sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release for the crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The court proceedings revealed that on March 26, 2024, law enforcement officers stopped Williams' vehicle in Beckley shortly after he was involved in a controlled drug purchase. During the search, officers discovered a Ruger model EC9S 9mm semi-automatic handgun, 41 grams of fentanyl, and $1,179 in cash. Williams confessed to owning the firearm for protection and intended to distribute the fentanyl found in his car. He also admitted to selling 1.3 grams of fentanyl to an informant just before the traffic stop.
Further details from April 17, 2024, indicated that police responded to a shooting at a residence where they found Williams with a Springfield model Hellcat 9mm semi-automatic pistol nearby. A person with a gunshot wound was also present at the scene. Williams acknowledged firing the weapon inside the house.
Federal law bars individuals with felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition. Williams was aware of this prohibition due to his prior felony conviction for common law robbery in Lincoln County, North Carolina on September 10, 2013. His criminal history includes convictions for robbery with a dangerous weapon and trafficking opium or heroin.
United States Attorney Will Thompson praised the efforts of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit for their investigative work on this case. Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk delivered the sentence while Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell handled prosecution duties.
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 strengthened PSN's strategy on May 26, 2021, focusing on community trust-building, support for violence prevention organizations, strategic enforcement priorities, and results measurement.
Further information can be accessed via PACER under Case No. 5:24-cr-79.
