Ramsey Gets 46 Months for Gun & Threats to Cops

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kevin Lee Ramsey, 30, of Parkersburg, will spend the next 46 months in federal prison after being sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart announced the sentence today, a clear message that West Virginia will not tolerate armed criminals, especially those who turn on the very officers trying to take them into custody.

The August 15, 2019 incident began with a routine traffic stop by the Parkersburg Police Department near the intersection of 7th Street and Swann Street. A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded Heckler & Koch 9mm compact semi-automatic pistol in the glove box, directly in front of where Ramsey was seated. It wasn’t just the gun itself that landed Ramsey in hot water. He already had a prior conviction – delivery of heroin in Wood County Circuit Court in July of 2015 – meaning he was legally prohibited from owning a firearm.

But Ramsey didn’t stop at simply possessing an illegal weapon. According to court documents, his arrest devolved into a violent confrontation. Ramsey allegedly kicked, spat at, and attempted to headbutt the officers. Even more damning, he reportedly threatened them with a chilling statement: “If I had known how this was going to go, I would have grabbed that [expletive] and flicked it at you. I won’t make that mistake again.” Prosecutors argued this was a clear admission he intended to use the firearm against law enforcement.

“Not only was Ramsey a felon with a gun, he took it one step further and threatened law enforcement, which absolutely will not be tolerated,” Stuart stated. “You can rest assured that my office will advocate for stiff sentences for those who threaten the safety of our law enforcement officers or the public.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office pushed for a significant prison term, citing both the illegal firearm and Ramsey’s violent behavior.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin ultimately handed down the 46-month sentence, followed by three years of supervised release. The Parkersburg Police Department, alongside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), spearheaded the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case, which was part of Project Guardian, a Department of Justice initiative focused on reducing gun violence and enforcing federal firearms laws.

Project Guardian aims to bolster coordination between federal, state, and local agencies in tackling gun crime. Details about the initiative are available at https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian. Court documents related to this case can be found on PACER under Case No. 2:19-cr-00282. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia on Twitter at SDWVNews and USAttyStuart.