Michael Dee Cline Indicted on Firearm Charges

Michael Dee Cline, 59, of Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, is facing federal charges after being indicted on one count of “Felon in Possession of a Firearm.” The indictment, returned today by a federal grand jury in Wheeling, marks the latest chapter in a case stemming from a March 2016 discovery of a loaded .45 caliber pistol in Cline’s possession.

Cline, previously convicted of a felony offense in Tennessee, is legally prohibited from owning or handling firearms under federal law. Despite that, authorities allege he was found in possession of the weapon over seven years ago—an act that now lands him in federal crosshairs. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. While the statutory maximum is clear, the actual sentence—should Cline be convicted—will be determined under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which weigh the severity of the offense and the defendant’s criminal history.

Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen confirmed the indictment, underscoring the federal government’s continued push to prosecute illegal firearm possession, particularly among those with prior felony convictions. “We’re holding individuals accountable when they break federal law,” Jividen said in a statement. “Firearms in the wrong hands threaten public safety.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri is leading the prosecution. Court records show Cline has not yet entered a plea, and a trial date has not been set. Federal prosecutors are expected to present evidence tying Cline directly to the firearm recovered in 2016.

An indictment is not a conviction. Michael Dee Cline is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The case remains under active prosecution in the Northern District of West Virginia.