Derrick Shane McCullough, a 27-year-old from Keystone Heights, Florida, admitted in federal court today that he was caught with a weapon he’s legally barred from owning. The guilty plea, entered in Charleston, West Virginia, stems from a routine traffic stop that blew open a federal firearms case.
On July 16, 2016, Charleston Police pulled over a vehicle on Chandler Drive for a seatbelt violation. What should’ve been a minor citation turned dangerous when McCullough, riding as a passenger, told an officer there was a gun under his seat. Officers recovered a short-barreled shotgun—illegally possessed, given McCullough’s criminal past.
McCullough is a convicted felon. In 2014, he was sentenced in Florida for burglary of a dwelling and grand theft—crimes that permanently strip him of the right to possess firearms under federal law. Despite that, he brought a loaded, concealable shotgun into West Virginia and into a vehicle on a public roadway.
He now faces up to 10 years in federal prison when sentenced on May 10, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriele Wohl is prosecuting the case, emphasizing the federal crackdown on armed felons.
U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart, who oversaw the announcement, made it clear: violating gun laws as a felon endangers communities. “As a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, I take the prosecution of criminals who violate the gun laws that protect that right extremely seriously,” Stuart said. “Dangerous felons who disregard our gun laws put our communities at risk.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Charleston Police Department, and is being prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods—a national initiative aimed at slashing gun violence through aggressive federal prosecution of armed felons.
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Related Federal Cases
- Preston County Felon Scott Thomas Gets 41 Months for Gun Possession · West Virginia
- Charleston Felon Quinones Admits to Gun Possession · West Virginia
- Charleston Felon Ronald Sayles Cuffed for Gun Possession · West Virginia
- Florida Man Sentenced for Felon in Possession of Firearm · West Virginia
- Raleigh County Felon Gene A. James Sentenced in Gun Case · West Virginia
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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