Samuel Lee Donaldson, Jr., Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, West Virginia 2024

ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – A Lewis County man has been found guilty of a serious firearms charge, according to court documents.

Samuel Lee Donaldson, Jr., 37, of Weston, West Virginia, was found guilty of one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” by a jury after a two-day trial.

The charge stems from an incident on October 5, 2019, when a Lewis County Sheriff’s Deputy and a Weston Police Department K-9 unit responded to a 911 call about a felon with a firearm. When the officers made eye contact with Donaldson, he immediately fled on foot.

Just before the officers apprehended him, Donaldson threw a 9mm semi-automatic firearm, which was quickly recovered. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Donaldson is a person prohibited from having a firearm because of prior convictions of domestic battery and third offense DUI.

Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, Donaldson is facing up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher L. Bauer and Andrew R. Cogar are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, and the Weston Police Department investigated.

U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided over the trial. The sentence has yet to be handed down. Donaldson’s next court appearance is pending.

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