Ryan Henry Guerrant, Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, West Virginia 2017

Beckley, W.Va. — Two convicted felons are headed to federal prison for illegally wielding firearms in separate incidents that exposed their blatant disregard for the law. Ryan Henry Guerrant, 27, and Clennel Pierre Cobb, 46, both of Beckley, were sentenced this week after pleading guilty to federal gun charges, underscoring the ongoing battle against illegal firearms in southern West Virginia.

Guerrant was sentenced to three years and 10 months in federal prison after admitting he possessed an Omega Model 100 .22 caliber revolver during a traffic stop on August 10, 2017. Sitting in the back seat of a vehicle, Guerrant told a Beckley Police Department officer the gun was at his feet. He later confirmed to investigators he knew he wasn’t allowed to have a firearm due to prior felony convictions, including possession of a firearm by a prohibited person in 2013 and escape and attempted robbery in 2010 — all in Raleigh County Circuit Court.

Cobb, already a known quantity to law enforcement, received a stiffer penalty of six years in federal prison — to be served consecutively to his 2017 Raleigh County drug felony sentence. On August 12, 2016, Cobb admitted to possessing a Hi-Point Model C9 9mm pistol. His criminal history, which includes multiple drug-related felony convictions in 2006 and 2017, legally barred him from owning or carrying any firearm under federal law.

U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart made it clear: there are consequences for felons caught with guns. “Prison time awaits those who break our gun laws. My office is serious about keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals,” Stuart said. “We will continue working with law enforcement to target felons who think they are above the law.”

The sentences were handed down by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger. Both cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley Police Department, whose joint efforts helped dismantle the threat these men posed with illegal firearms on the streets.

The prosecutions were brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing gun violence by strengthening cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement. The program targets repeat offenders and those prohibited from possessing firearms, sending a clear message: in Beckley, illegal guns mean federal time.

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