CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A local felon caught with two loaded handguns in his home has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, marking another strike in the government’s push to lock up violent offenders before they strike. Ronald Sayles, 39, admitted to possessing a Taurus .32 caliber pistol and a Ruger 9 mm pistol at his Charleston residence — a federal crime under his 2002 felony conviction.
The guns were uncovered on December 7, 2014, when Charleston Police Department officers raided Sayles’ home with a valid search warrant. Hidden in plain reach, the firearms were seized immediately, and Sayles was handed over to federal authorities. Despite no active use of the weapons, possession alone was enough to trigger federal charges — especially given his past.
Sayles was previously convicted of a felony drug charge in Kanawha County Circuit Court in 2002, a conviction that stripped him of his right to bear arms under federal law. That history turned what might’ve been a local offense into a federal gun crime, landing him in the crosshairs of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
He pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, a charge that carries stiff penalties in West Virginia, particularly under the DOJ’s aggressive enforcement of gun laws. U.S. Attorney Carol Casto made no apologies for the prosecution, calling it a necessary move to keep weapons out of dangerous hands.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Frail led the prosecution, and U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin handed down the 21-month sentence. The investigation was a joint operation between the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — a collaboration increasingly common in high-risk gun cases.
The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing gun violence through coordinated federal, state, and local enforcement. Authorities say they’ll continue targeting felons with access to firearms, calling it a frontline defense against urban gun crime.
Related Federal Cases
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- Ohio Felon Whitt Gets 30 Months for Gun Possession · West Virginia
- Florida Felon Cops to Gun Charge in Charleston Bust · West Virginia
- Huntington Felon Jonathan Baker Cuffed for Illegal Firearm Possession · West Virginia
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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