Ryan H. Guerrant, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, West Virginia 2024

BECKLEY, W.Va. – A local man has pleaded guilty to a federal gun crime. Ryan H. Guerrant, 33, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 26, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to reports of a shooting at a Beckley residence and found Guerrant in the residence with a Bersa model BP9CC 9mm next to him on a bed.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Guerrant knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, and escape in Raleigh County Circuit Court on January 15, 2010.

Guerrant is scheduled to be sentenced on March 14, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing.

Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.