A 42-year-old Point Pleasant man has been locked up behind bars for breaking federal law by possessing a firearm.
James Franklin Will III, 42, of Point Pleasant, was sentenced Monday to three years and nine months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The arrest came after law enforcement officers responded to a report of a suspicious person at a Point Pleasant residence on June 15, 2023. According to court documents, the residents told officers that Will had entered their home with two firearms.
Officers recovered a loaded Sig Sauer AR-15 .223-caliber rifle and a Smith & Wesson .22-caliber revolver at the residence. Will admitted to possessing the firearms, which is a federal crime.
Will knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for attempt to commit a felony on December 7, 2015, and conspiracy on November 13, 2017, both in Mason County Circuit Court, and for unlawful possession of a deadly weapon by a felon in Wood County Circuit Court on April 16, 2021.
United States Attorney Will Thompson commended the investigative work of the Point Pleasant Police Department and the Mason County Sheriff’s Department in the case.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence in communities by working with law enforcement and community organizations.
The Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy in 2021, focusing on fostering trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting prevention efforts, and measuring results.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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