Paul William Martin, Felon in Possession of Firearms, West Virginia 2019

West Virginia Felons Face Justice for Gun Crimes

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - In a major blow to West Virginia's gun violence epidemic, five felons have been sentenced for their involvement in various gun-related crimes. Paul William Martin, 34, of South Charleston, West Virginia, was the first to face justice, receiving a 46-month prison sentence for being a felon in possession of firearms. Martin's sentence also includes 18 months for violating his previous term of supervised release, which will run concurrently.

Martin's crime was uncovered on October 12, 2018, when officers with the South Charleston Police Department stopped him and Jason Buzzard, who had picked Martin up at a Sheetz gas station to sell him firearms. As part of the transaction, they planned to exchange drugs, guns, and cash. During the stop, officers recovered a .25 semi-automatic handgun and a .22 caliber revolver. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) assisted in the investigation.

Martin's previous convictions include possession of a stolen vehicle, forgery, daytime burglary, and fraudulent use of an access device in Kanawha County, West Virginia. He also had a previous federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm in the Southern District of West Virginia.

Martin was indicted in December 2019, following a two-day trial, and was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

In a separate case, Michael Q. Cottrell, 23, of Charleston, West Virginia, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of firearms. Cottrell's crime was uncovered on August 25, 2018, when he was involved in a car crash on Garrison Avenue in Charleston. During the investigation, police recovered two firearms, a pistol and a revolver, at the scene of the crash. Cottrell stipulated that he was a felon and that he knew he was a felon at the time of the car crash.

Shad Michael Knight, 27, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Knight admitted that on October 21, 2019, he was driving a blue Chevrolet Cruze when it was pulled over in the 1000 block of 29th Street in Parkersburg due to a busted tail light and Knight having a suspended driver's license. During the traffic stop, a Parkersburg Police Department K-9 responded to the scene and provided a positive indication for the presence of controlled substances within the vehicle. The vehicle was then searched, and officers located a backpack behind the driver's seat containing a 9mm pistol, two loaded magazines, two boxes of 9mm ammunition, several small plastic bags, and a small amount of methamphetamine. Knight admitted that the firearm was within his possession and that he had placed the firearm in the vehicle.

The investigation was conducted by the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorneys L. Alexander Hamner and Andrew Tessman handled the prosecution. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. The cases are a major step forward in the battle against gun violence in West Virginia.

The sentences handed down to these felons serve as a reminder that the consequences of gun crimes are severe and that law enforcement will continue to work tirelessly to keep our communities safe.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/project-guardian-five-felons-appear-federal-court-gun-charges