Richard Shawn Owens, a resident of Lewisburg, West Virginia, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison followed by a three-year term of supervised release for the federal offense of possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
Per the court records and statements, the legal authorities confiscated six firearms from Owens' residence during a search on August 10, 2023. The firearms included a Glock 19X 9mm handgun, Smith & Wesson M&P Shield .40-caliber handgun, Smith & Wesson M&P15 .223-caliber/5.56mm rifle, RomArm Cugir WASR-10 7.62x39mm rifle, Winchester Super X Pump 12-gauge shotgun, and Ruger American 30-06 bolt-action rifle. The firearms were discovered easily accessible across the residence, where two children were also living. Officers also seized numerous rounds of ammunition and drug-related items. Owens admitted that the firearms belonged to him.
The federal law prohibits individuals with prior convictions for misdemeanor domestic violence from owning firearms or ammunition. Owens was aware of this restriction following his conviction for assault and battery of a family member in Chesterfield County, Virginia, on July 16, 2013.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston, who expressed appreciation for the investigation carried out by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The sentence was imposed by Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk, and the prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald.
This case is under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at reducing violent crime. The PSN program involves multiple stakeholders who collaborate to identify and devise solutions for the most pressing violent crime issues within communities. PSN emphasizes strict law enforcement against the most violent offenders while working with local prevention and reentry initiatives to lower crime rates sustainably.
The press release is available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia's website. Court documents and information are accessible on PACER with Case No. 5:23-cr-146.
