Dana Stevenson, Felon Ammunition Possession, West Virginia 2024

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Dana Stevenson, a 31-year-old Charleston man, was sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of ammunition and for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 5, 2021, Stevenson illegally possessed 9mm caliber ammunition. The ammunition was recovered at the scene of a daytime shooting at Central and Glenwood avenues on Charleston’s West Side.

About five weeks after the shooting, on August 12, 2021, South Charleston Police officers attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Stevenson, who fled at a high rate of speed. Stevenson was eventually apprehended and officers recovered approximately 38 grams of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia from the vehicle.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Stevenson knew he was prohibited from possessing ammunition because of his 2018 federal felony convictions in the Southern District of West Virginia for the distribution of heroin within 1,000 feet of a school and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department, and the South Charleston Police Department.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nowles Heinrich and Stephanie S. Taylor prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.

The prosecution of this case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat violent crime and protect the community. The sentence imposed on Stevenson serves as a reminder of the severe consequences of violating federal law.

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