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Press Release

Belmont County man indicted for firearms violation

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of West Virginia

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Ricky Runner, of Martins Ferry, Ohio, was indicted by a federal grand jury today for a firearms violation, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Runner, age 32, is charged with one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Runner, a person prohibited from having firearms, is accused of possessing a .40 caliber pistol in Marshall County in October 2018.

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

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr. is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. 

An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Updated June 5, 2019

Topics
Firearms Offenses
Project Safe Neighborhoods