Thomas Bennett Admits to Illegal Firearm Possession

Thomas Bennett, a 41-year-old man from Steubenville, Ohio, stood before federal judges and admitted he had no business holding a gun. On August 12, 2017, Bennett possessed a 9mm pistol in Ohio County, West Virginia — a move that violated federal law due to his prior conviction for drug possession in Jefferson County, Ohio.

The guilty plea, entered in Wheeling, West Virginia, marks the latest chapter in Bennett’s run-ins with the law. He pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm,” a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The admission was announced by United States Attorney Bill Powell.

Bennett’s 2017 drug conviction in Common Pleas Court stripped him of his right to own or carry firearms under federal statute. Despite that, he was found in possession of the loaded 9mm nearly a decade later — a decision that now lands him squarely in the crosshairs of federal sentencing guidelines.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin is handling the prosecution, building a case rooted in both the physical evidence and Bennett’s criminal record. The investigation was conducted jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wheeling Police Department, whose collaboration led to the charge.

Sentencing will be determined by Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr., who presided over the hearing. Under federal guidelines, the final sentence will reflect the seriousness of the offense and Bennett’s prior criminal history — factors that could push punishment toward the upper limits of the law.

The case underscores the federal government’s ongoing crackdown on illegal gun possession, especially among those with felony records. For Thomas Bennett, the consequences of one decision in Ohio County could mean years behind bars.

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