Two West Virginia felons are facing federal prison after pleading guilty this week to illegal firearm possession, the latest convictions under the Department of Justice’s Project Guardian initiative. Jeremy Vance, 38, of Charleston, and Adam Michael Miller, 28, of Parkersburg, admitted to carrying weapons despite being legally barred due to prior felony convictions.
Vance admitted he was riding a bicycle in West Logan on August 15, 2019, armed with four guns—two Mossberg 12 gauge shotguns, a Marlin .22 caliber rifle, and a Marlin 12 gauge shotgun. He confessed he planned to sell them at a local flea market for cash. A 2011 breaking and entering conviction in Logan County Circuit Court stripped him of his right to possess firearms. The West Virginia State Police led the investigation. Vance faces up to 10 years in prison and is scheduled for sentencing on December 9, 2020, before U.S. District Judge Irene C. Berger. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Scott is prosecuting the case.
Miller’s arrest came during a routine traffic stop in Parkersburg on October 28, 2019. Officers searched his white Honda Pilot and found a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol later confirmed as stolen. Also inside: a digital scale, empty plastic bags consistent with drug distribution, marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, and additional .40 caliber rounds on Miller’s person. His 2017 felony burglary conviction in Calhoun County Circuit Court—tied to the kidnapping and torture of Joshua Darwin Shrader in July 2016—rendered him ineligible to possess any firearm. He was serving parole at the time of the arrest.
Miller’s criminal record is a litany of violence. It includes three convictions for battery on a corrections officer, four for battery, three for violation of a protective order, plus separate convictions for reporting a false emergency, obstructing an officer, destruction of property, and intimidation of a witness. Sentenced to an indeterminate term of one to 15 years in the Shrader case, Miller was still under supervision when caught with the stolen handgun. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison and is set for sentencing on December 8, 2020. Senior U.S. District Judge David A. Faber presided. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is handling the prosecution.
The Parkersburg Police Department, with support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), investigated Miller’s case. Both prosecutions fall under Project Guardian, the DOJ’s nationwide push launched in fall 2019 to target gun violence by enhancing coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement. The initiative prioritizes prosecuting armed felons, improving background check follow-ups, and directing resources at the most dangerous offenders.
U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart emphasized the ongoing crackdown: ‘These convictions send a clear message—felons who pick up guns will end up behind bars.’ With Vance and Miller now awaiting sentencing, federal authorities in West Virginia continue to leverage Project Guardian to dismantle illegal firearm circulation in high-crime areas.
Related Federal Cases
- Eric Wilson, Joseph Shipman Plead Guilty to Firearm Charges · West Virginia
- Adam Plauche Admits to Selling Stolen Firearm Across State Lines · West Virginia
- Rollie C. Poynter Jr. Charged with Illegal Firearm Possession · Kentucky
- Russell Cary Owens Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm Possession · North Carolina
- Thomas Dale Sims Jr. Sentenced for Firearm Possession · West Virginia
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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