Monongalia County woman indicted on firearms charges

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Tara Nicole Shock, of Rosedale, West Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Clarksburg on January 8, 2019 on firearms charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Shock, age 27, was indicted on one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm" and one count of “Possession of a Stolen Firearm.” Shock, a person prohibited from having firearms, is accused of having a .40 caliber pistol and a .45 caliber pistol, both of which are suspected stolen. The crimes allegedly occurred in August 2018 in Monongalia County.

Shock 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). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Morgantown Police Department,  and the Williamstown Police Department investigated.

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