Justin Antonio Jones, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, West Virginia 2025

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - On September 29, 2024, a traffic stop in Mingo County, West Virginia, led law enforcement officers to a startling discovery: a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

Justin Antonio Jones, 40, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced on June 18, 2026, to six years and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, a federal offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Jones had ignored officers' directions to show his hands and began walking away during the traffic stop. He then placed an object beneath the passenger side front tire of another vehicle, which was later found to be a Keltec model PF-9 9mm pistol.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Jones knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance on October 27, 2008, and on May 22, 2012, both in Mingo County Circuit Court.

Jones has a criminal history that includes four additional felony convictions, also for drug offenses, and was serving a term of probation imposed in Kentucky at the time of his current offense.

United States Attorney Moore Capito praised the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Mingo County Sheriff’s Office, saying that their efforts were instrumental in bringing Jones to justice.

The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating violent crime and protecting communities from the perpetrators of such crimes.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-191.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/ohio-man-sentenced-prison-federal-gun-crime-2