Berkeley County woman indicted on firearms charges

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Cassandra Elaine Riggs, of Hedgesville, West Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand jury today on firearms charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Riggs, age 30, is charged with one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” and one count of “Unlawful Possession of Ammunition.” Riggs, who is prohibited from having a firearm or ammunition because of previous felony convictions, is accused of having a .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle and 20 rounds of .223 caliber ammunition in October 2018 in Berkeley County.

Riggs faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. 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 Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Probation Office investigated. 

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