Monongalia County man sentenced for illegal possession of a firearm

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Wilbur Higginbotham, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 57 months incarceration for illegally possessing a firearm, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Higginbotham, age 51, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in March 2018. Higginbotham, having previously been convicted of heroin and illegal firearms charges in U.S. District Court and drug charges in Prince George’s County Maryland Circuit Court, admitted to having a .22 caliber firearm in Harrison County in December 2017.

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 prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office investigated. 
 
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.