Randell Lee Proctor, Gun Crime, West Virginia 2023

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Randell Lee Proctor, 45, of Belle, West Virginia, is headed to federal prison after a judge deemed his escalating violence a danger to the community. Proctor was sentenced today to four years behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted domestic abuser.

The case stems from an incident on December 29, 2022, in the Rand area of Kanawha County. According to court documents, Proctor fired a Hi-Point C9, 9mm semi-automatic pistol – twice. One round went into the air, the other ripped into the ceiling of the front porch of a residence while his girlfriend was inside. Responding officers with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office found Proctor at the scene and recovered the weapon.

This wasn’t a first offense. Proctor knew he wasn’t allowed to own a gun. Court records reveal a disturbing pattern of domestic violence convictions in Kanawha County Magistrate Court dating back over two decades: September 15, 2016; November 26, 2013; January 24, 2005; and September 24, 2002. Federal law clearly prohibits anyone with a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction from possessing firearms or ammunition.

U.S. District Judge Irene C. Berger didn’t just hand down the standard sentence. She granted an upward variance, recognizing the severity of Proctor’s history and the risk he posed. The judge specifically cited his repeated offenses, the fact that he discharged the firearm during an active domestic dispute, and the danger he created by firing shots in a residential neighborhood.

“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of this defendant’s crime and protects the public,” stated U.S. Attorney Will Thompson. “This defendant has a significant criminal history of domestic violence crimes dating back two decades. The fact that he fired shots in this incident raises grave concerns that his tendency toward violence in his domestic relationships is escalating.” Thompson’s office prosecuted the case with Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy D. Adams.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. ATF Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Division, which covers West Virginia, emphasized the connection between domestic abuse and firearms. “This case shows why domestic abusers should not possess firearms. They pose extreme danger to intimate partners, family and to the public,” Morrow said. “ATF prioritizes these cases… to send these dangerous offenders to federal prison, where they belong.” Case number 2:23-cr-74 can be found on PACER.

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