Joseph Tyree Ryles, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, West Virginia 2020

A Baltimore man has been sentenced to a decade in prison for illegally possessing firearms in West Virginia, in a case that underscores the dangers of gun crime in the region.

Joseph Tyree Ryles, 30, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 120 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.

The crime occurred in August 2015, when Ryles illegally possessed two firearms, a 9mm pistol and a .40 caliber pistol, in Jefferson County.

Ryles had previously been convicted of crimes in the Circuit Court of Baltimore City, Maryland, and admitted to violating federal law by possessing the firearms.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley D. Crockett prosecuted the case on behalf of the government, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative.

U.S. Chief District Judge Gina M. Groh presided over the case, which saw Ryles plead guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in January 2020.

The sentence imposed on Ryles is a stark reminder of the consequences of gun crime in West Virginia, and the importance of law enforcement efforts to keep communities safe.

As the people of West Virginia demand justice, the Grimy Times will continue to shine a light on cases like this, holding those responsible for crime to account.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/maryland-man-sentenced-decade-firearms-charge