WV Felon Caught Packing Heat

⏱ 2 min read

Robert Thomas, 30, of St. Albans, West Virginia, is staring down a long stretch after copping to federal gun charges. Cops busted him January 27th in the Jefferson area of Kanawha County with a Glock Model 27 .40-caliber pistol – a loaded weapon he had no legal right to own.

Thomas’s rap sheet already included a drug conviction. Back in October 2019, Putnam County Circuit Court found him guilty of possession with intent to deliver, automatically disqualifying him from owning firearms. He knew the drill, but allegedly ignored it.

The bust was a joint effort by the ATF, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Charleston Police Department. Now, feds are asking U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin to hit Thomas with the maximum: 15 years in the slammer, plus three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

The case falls under “Operation Take Back America”, a broad federal initiative targeting transnational crime, though this bust appears to be a straight-up local enforcement matter. Sentencing is scheduled for July 13, 2026. Expect a hefty prison term.