Junior Watts, Theft of a Firearm and Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, West Virginia 2020

A 37-year-old Marshall County man has admitted to stealing a semi-automatic pistol from a licensed firearms dealer in Ohio County in July 2020. Junior Watts, of McMechen, West Virginia, pleaded guilty today to one count of Theft of a Firearm and one count of Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.

Watts admitted to stealing the semi-automatic pistol from a licensed firearms dealer in Ohio County in July 2020. The defendant, who is a person prohibited from having firearms because of a prior conviction, also admitted to having 49 rounds of ammunition in July 2020 in Ohio County.

Watts is facing up to 5 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the theft charge, and faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the Unlawful Possession of Ammunition charge.

Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Wheeling Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided over the proceedings.

The charges against Watts stem from an investigation into the theft of a semi-automatic pistol from a licensed firearms dealer in Ohio County in July 2020. The defendant's prior conviction prohibits him from possessing firearms, making his actions a serious offense.

Watts' sentencing has not been scheduled yet. He is currently waiting for a sentence to be determined based on the seriousness of the offenses and his prior criminal history.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/marshall-county-man-admits-firearms-charges-0