Harrison County man sentenced for firearms charge

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Robert Lee Starkey, Jr., of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 15 months incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Starkey, age 24, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in July 2018.  Starkey, having been previously convicted of a felony, admitted to having a .22-caliber revolver in March 2018 in Harrison County.

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. The Attorney General’s Office 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, the Attorney General’s Office 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 Sarah E. Wagner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the West Virginia Probation Office investigated.

Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.