A 38-year-old Kentucky man has been sentenced to prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. Melvin Theophilius Hill, a resident of Ashland, Kentucky, was sentenced to five years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 2, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Hill near 13th Street and Ninth Avenue in Huntington. Officers searched the vehicle and found a loaded FN 509 9mm handgun in the passenger seat rear pocket. Hill admitted to possessing the firearm and placing it where officers found it during the search.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Hill knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions in Boyd County, Kentucky, Circuit Court for second-degree robbery on May 9, 2008, and first-degree possession of a controlled substance on January 12, 2011.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
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. 3:22-cr-134.
Related Federal Cases
- Melvin Theophilius Hill, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, West Virginia 2022 · Kentucky
- Melvin Theophilius Hill, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, West Virginia 2023 · Kentucky
- Aric J. Stutler, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, West Virginia 2024 · North Carolina
- Aric J. Stutler, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, West Virginia 2023 · Kentucky
- Trevor Dean Williams, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, West Virginia 2022 · North Carolina
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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