Andrew Debolt Sentenced in West Virginia Firearm Case

Andrew N. Debolt, 33, of Shinnston, West Virginia, is headed to federal prison for 30 months after being caught with a loaded .22 caliber rifle — a crime made far more serious by his violent criminal past.

Debolt, a convicted felon with prior convictions for “Sexual Abuse in the First Degree” and “Domestic Violence, Third Offense” in Harrison County, is legally barred from possessing any firearm. Yet in July 2015, law enforcement found him in possession of the weapon, triggering a federal investigation.

The case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr., ended in a guilty plea in August 2016. No excuses. No justification. Just another prohibited person caught with a gun in a state where gun crimes fuel broader violence.

The takedown was a joint operation involving the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the West Virginia State Police, and the Clarksburg Police Department — agencies increasingly tightening the screws on illegal firearm possession in the region.

U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley handed down the 30-month sentence, emphasizing that felons who rearm themselves won’t get a pass, especially when their records include violence against vulnerable victims.

Debolt’s prison term sends a message: in West Virginia, and under federal law, a firearm in the hands of a violent felon is not a mistake — it’s a crime with time attached.