Brandon Lee Woodrum, a 31-year-old resident of Charleston, was sentenced on April 30 to two years and nine months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Woodrum admitted to possessing a Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm pistol on March 19 in Charleston and acknowledged knowing the firearm was reported stolen before law enforcement recovered it. He also admitted to selling the stolen pistol and another stolen firearm—a Springfield Armory Saint Victor AR-15 rifle—on October 18.
Federal law prohibits individuals with prior felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition. Woodrum had previous felony convictions for wanton endangerment with a firearm in Kanawha County Circuit Court on March 16, 2015, and January 24, 2019. His criminal record also includes assault and battery convictions. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence after Assistant United States Attorney Amy L. McLaughlin prosecuted the case.
United States Attorney Moore Capito said he commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Capito also said this case is part of Operation Take Back America: "a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime."
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia improves communities and upholds justice through enforcement of federal laws according to its official website. The office operates under the United States Department of Justice according to its official website and covers prosecution across twenty-three counties in southern West Virginia according to its official website. It employs thirty-seven attorneys along with forty other personnel according to its official website, handling both prosecution for federal crimes as well as civil litigation representing or defending government interests according to its official website.
A copy of this press release is available at the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for further details.
