1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Fawn E. Thomas, Public Affairs Specialist

October 5, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Moundsville Resident Indicted on Firearms Charge

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - A 39-year old Moundsville, West Virginia, resident was named in an Indictment returned on October 4, 2011, by a Federal Grand Jury sitting in Wheeling, West Virginia.

United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced that:

MARCUS LAVERN BROOKS, age 39, of Moundsville, West Virginia, was named in a one-count Indictment charging him with possession of a firearm on June 16, 2011, in Weirton, Brooke County, West Virginia, after having previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. The Indictment also contains a Forfeiture Allegation wherein the United States seeks to forfeit a .25 Caliber Berretta Semi-Automatic Handgun.

“This case is a great example of the cooperative effort that exists with our partners at the state and local levels. As a result of our relationship with the Brooke County Prosecutor’s office this matter was referred to us and quickly adopted as a federal case, and it will be handled by Special Assistant Joe Barki, III, who also serves as an assistant prosecutor in Brooke County,” said USA Ihlenfeld.

If convicted, BROOKS faces a maximum exposure of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.

It should be noted that the charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and not evidence of guilt, and that each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.