Harrison County man indicted on firearms charges

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Bridgeport, West Virginia man was indicted by a federal grand jury today on firearms charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Michael A. Spino, age 29, was indicted on one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” and one count of “Possession of an Unregistered Firearm.”  Spino, having been previously convicted of two felonies, is accused of having an unregistered 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun in January 2018 in Harrison County.

Spino 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), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the West Virginia Probation Office investigated.

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