Larry Joe Chapman, a 44-year-old resident of St. Albans, West Virginia, has been sentenced to three years and one month in prison followed by three years of supervised release for the federal offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Court documents reveal that on March 28, 2024, law enforcement responded to a shoplifting incident at a business on MacCorkle Avenue in South Charleston. Officers discovered Chapman locked inside the store's storage room. Upon unlocking the door for officers, Chapman was found holding an open-bladed knife. After disarming and arresting him, officers conducted a search and found a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard .380-caliber pistol and over $1,000 worth of merchandise belonging to the business on his person. The firearm was later identified as stolen.
Federal law prohibits individuals with prior felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition. Chapman was aware of this restriction due to his previous felony convictions for breaking and entering on February 5, 2018, and conspiracy related to operating a clandestine drug laboratory on November 8, 2013.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston praised the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the South Charleston Police Department. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess along with former Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Marsh 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. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched an enhanced strategy under PSN focusing on building community trust, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes.
Further details can be accessed via the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia's website or through PACER by searching Case No. 2:24-cr-125.
