Francis Combs, a 55-year-old resident of Cool Ridge, has entered a guilty plea for the federal offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The plea was made today in Beckley, West Virginia.
Court documents reveal that on August 1, 2024, Combs sold a Jimenez Arms model JA-Nine 9mm pistol to a confidential informant. During this transaction at his residence, he also sold a substance containing fentanyl. Federal law prohibits individuals with prior felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition. Combs acknowledged his awareness of this prohibition due to his past felony convictions: first-degree robbery in Raleigh County Circuit Court on June 26, 2007, and being a felon in possession of a firearm in Wyoming County Circuit Court on October 1, 2019.
Combs further admitted to selling another quantity of fentanyl and a Bryco Arms model Jennings J-22 .22-caliber pistol to the same informant on July 30, 2024. He is scheduled for sentencing on November 14, 2025. He faces up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine reaching $250,000.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced the development and praised the investigative efforts by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) alongside the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. This unit includes officers from several local law enforcement agencies.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn oversaw the hearing while Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley C. Shamblin and Alexander A. Redmon prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities.
Further information can be accessed via PACER under Case No. 5:24-cr-188 or through the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia's website.
