Norman Charles Hilbert Pleads Guilty to Gun Possession

Norman Charles Hilbert, 48, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, stood before federal judges today not as a free man, but as a convicted felon caught with a loaded .45 caliber pistol in Jefferson County — a violation of federal law he now admits to under a guilty plea.

Hilbert entered his plea in U.S. District Court in Martinsburg, West Virginia, admitting he possessed the firearm after having been previously convicted of a felony in Connecticut. That prior conviction stripped him of his right to own or carry any firearm, making his possession a federal offense punishable by up to ten years behind bars.

The charge — one count of “Felon in Possession of Firearm” — carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. While those are the statutory limits, the actual sentence will be determined under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, weighing the seriousness of the offense and Hilbert’s full criminal history.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Z. Krasinski prosecuted the case for the federal government, building the charge on evidence gathered by federal and local law enforcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation, with support from the Charles Town Police Department.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided over the hearing, where Hilbert formally entered his guilty plea. No sentencing date has been set, but court records confirm Hilbert remains in federal custody pending further proceedings.

The case underscores the federal crackdown on illegal gun possession, especially among those with violent or felony pasts. In West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, where gun culture runs deep, federal prosecutors continue to target individuals like Hilbert — men and women legally barred from firearms, yet still found armed.