Grant County man admits to firearms charge

ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Timothy Elliot Wheeler, of Petersburg, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms violation, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Wheeler, age 28, pled guilty to one count of “Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Crime.” Wheeler admitted to having a 9mm pistol during a drug trafficking crime in March 2019 in Grant County.

Wheeler faces at least five years and up to life 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.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office investigated.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.