Marion County man sentenced for unlawful possession of firearm

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Antonio Cottingham, 29, of Fairmont, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.

Cottingham, who has previous felony convictions in federal and state court in West Virginia, was discovered in unlawful possession of a .44 caliber revolver in August 2015 in Fairmont, West Virginia. Cottingham was previously convicted in the Northern District of West Virginia of the felony offenses of “Distribution of Crack Cocaine” and “Escape from Custody.” He was also previously convicted in state court in West Virginia of the felony offense of “Conspiracy to Commit a Felony Against the Sate.”

Cottingham pled guilty in January 2016 to one count of “Felon in Possession of a Firearm.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Perri prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Fairmont, West Virginia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.

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