CHEYENNE, WY – Federal courts in Wyoming handed down sentences this month in three separate cases involving illegal firearm possession, revealing a persistent problem with gun crime in the state. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) played a key role in the investigations, working alongside local law enforcement to bring the offenders to justice.
On April 18, 2023, James Paul Stokes, age 49, of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, received 33 months in prison, falling short of the 46 months requested by prosecutors. Stokes was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl also ordered three years of supervised release, a $250 fine, and a $100 special assessment. The Wyoming Highway Patrol assisted the ATF in the investigation.
Just a day earlier, on April 17, 2023, Steven Robert Venjohn, age 34, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced to 41 months behind bars with three years of supervised release. Venjohn’s crime? Being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. Police found Venjohn asleep at the wheel of his vehicle on November 30, 2022, along with methamphetamine and a Ruger Wrangler .22 caliber revolver. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed a $100 special assessment. The Casper Police Department worked with the ATF on this case.
The most serious case involved Lance James Talbot, age 44, of Cheyenne, Wyoming. On April 11, 2023, Talbot was sentenced to 57 months in prison, with three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment, for being a felon in possession of ammunition. This wasn’t simply a paperwork violation. Court records reveal Talbot allegedly used the .40 caliber ammunition to shoot a victim in Cheyenne on March 16, 2022. The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and head injuries. Security footage placed Talbot at the scene, and officers found matching ammunition at his residence.
The court found, based on evidence presented, that Talbot had indeed fired the weapon. While prosecutors sought 71 months, Judge Skavdahl settled on 57. The Cheyenne Police Department and ATF collaborated on the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Coppom handled the prosecution in both the Talbot and Venjohn cases.
These sentences, while significant, represent only a fraction of the ongoing battle against illegal firearms in Wyoming. The ATF’s Denver Field Division continues to work with local partners to disrupt the flow of guns to those prohibited from possessing them. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Griswold prosecuted the Stokes case, highlighting the coordinated effort to keep dangerous weapons off the streets. The Grimy Times will continue to follow these cases and report on the evolving landscape of federal crime in the region.
Related Federal Cases
- Michael Brandon Stewart, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Washington 2023 · Louisiana
- Jose Alcaraz Guerrero Sentenced to 5 Years for Loaded Firearm Posse… · Pennsylvania
- Chad Gabris, Firearm and Witness Tampering, Mililani HI, 2024 · Iowa
- Eugene Monsanto Jr, Loaded Firearm, USVI 2016 · Oregon
- Francis Combs, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, West Virginia 2026 · Virginia
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