Phillip Arnold Bennett III, Unlawful Firearm Possession, WV 2017

Phillip Arnold Bennett III, a 31-year-old man from Piedmont, West Virginia, is headed to federal prison for 120 months after being convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm. The sentence, handed down today in Martinsburg, marks the end of a federal case rooted in a September 2017 incident in Mineral County where Bennett was found in possession of a .380 caliber pistol — a weapon he is legally barred from owning.

Bennett pleaded guilty in January 2019 to one count of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, admitting he knowingly possessed the loaded handgun despite a prior criminal history that prohibits him from handling firearms under federal law. The charge carries stiff penalties, especially when prosecuted under the Department of Justice’s violent crime initiatives.

The prosecution was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the DOJ’s flagship initiative targeting violent offenders in high-crime areas. PSN relies on coordinated law enforcement sweeps, intelligence-driven tactics, and partnerships with local agencies to dismantle cycles of violence. In Bennett’s case, investigators saw a clear threat: a previously convicted individual armed and operating in the community.

Investigation into Bennett’s illegal possession was conducted by the Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force — a HIDTA-funded unit specializing in regional violent crime — alongside the West Virginia State Police. Their work built a forensic and testimonial case that left no doubt about Bennett’s control of the weapon at the time of seizure.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara K. Omps-Botteicher handled the prosecution, pushing for maximum accountability given the defendant’s status as a prohibited person. At sentencing, federal prosecutors emphasized the danger posed by allowing firearms to remain in the hands of those with criminal records, especially in rural zones where response times can be slow and risks high.

Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided over the proceedings, ultimately agreeing with the government’s stance. Bennett now begins a decade behind bars — a stark reminder that in West Virginia’s federal courts, illegal guns draw zero tolerance and hard time.