Berkeley County woman sentenced for firearms charge

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Mary Virginia Cook, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to five years’ probation for a firearms charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Cook, age 26, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting a False Statement During Purchase of Firearms” in July 2019. Cook admitted to making false statements when purchasing a .40 caliber pistol and a 9mm pistol in Berkeley County in February 2018.

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 K. Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Martinsburg Police Department investigated. 

Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.