NITRO, W.Va. – Quenin Owen Brown, 34, of Shady Spring, is facing serious time after admitting today to being a felon illegally packing heat. Brown pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm, a charge stemming from a December 28, 2024, encounter with law enforcement that revealed a disturbing cache of stolen weaponry.
The bust went down at a Nitro gas station. Officers, already looking to bring Brown in on a parole violation, found more than just a paperwork problem. A loaded HS Produkt (Springfield) model Hellcat 9mm pistol was strapped to his person, tucked into a belly holster. A search of his vehicle turned up an even more unsettling haul: a loaded Glock model 43 9mm and a loaded Taurus model G3 9mm. All three firearms, investigators quickly determined, had been reported stolen.
This wasn’t a simple mistake. Brown knew he wasn’t supposed to have guns. His rap sheet includes a February 6, 2012, conviction for unlawful wounding in Kanawha County Circuit Court, and a November 13, 2018, conviction for fleeing with reckless indifference to the safety of others *and* possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine – also in Kanawha County. Those prior felonies automatically disqualify him from owning firearms or ammunition under federal law.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston didn’t mince words, hailing the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Nitro Police Department in bringing Brown to justice. The case is part of “Operation Take Back America,” a sweeping federal initiative aimed at tackling illegal immigration, dismantling cartels, and quashing violent crime across the nation. The operation combines resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Brown is scheduled for sentencing on October 27, 2025, before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers. He’s looking at a maximum sentence of 15 years behind bars, coupled with up to three years of supervised release, and a hefty $250,000 fine. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case.
Those seeking more information can find a copy of the press release on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia. Court documents related to Case No. 3:25-cr-84 are also available on PACER. This is a stark reminder that those who repeatedly break the law and endanger the public will be held accountable, and the Grimy Times will be there to report it.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons|Organized Crime|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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