Matthew J Duncan, Firearm Possession, WV 2021

Matthew J. Duncan, 24, of Weston, West Virginia, and Crystal Dawn Roth, 39, of Walkersville, West Virginia, admitted in federal court today to illegally possessing firearms—charges stemming from a March 2021 discovery in Braxton County. Both defendants, already barred from owning weapons due to prior convictions, are now facing up to 10 years behind bars and fines reaching $250,000.

Duncan pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, admitting he held onto a pistol, a rifle, and a shotgun during the incident. Authorities found the weapons during an enforcement operation, highlighting ongoing concerns about prohibited individuals accessing deadly firearms in rural West Virginia.

Roth, also a convicted felon, admitted to possessing a revolver at the same time and location. Her guilty plea underscores a pattern of repeat offenses and law enforcement’s tightening grip on illegal gun circulation in central Appalachia.

The case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Bauer, was investigated jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Braxton County Sheriff’s Office. Federal authorities have emphasized that gun seizures in the region remain a top priority, especially when tied to prior violent or drug-related convictions.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided over the hearing in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Sentencing will be determined under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which weigh the severity of the offense and the defendant’s criminal past. Neither Duncan nor Roth was granted bond pending sentencing.

Duncan and Roth now await formal sentencing dates to be set by the court. Their admissions add to a growing docket of federal firearms violations in West Virginia, where prosecutors continue to pursue stiff penalties for unlawful possession—especially among those legally barred from owning weapons.