Ohio County man indicted on firearms charge

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael Shawndale Davis, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was indicted today by a federal grand jury on a firearms charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Davis, age 36, was indicted on one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Davis, having been convicted of two prior felonies and prohibited from having firearms, is accused of having a .45 caliber revolver in October 2019 in Ohio County. 

Davis faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000.  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 David J. Perri is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wheeling Police Department investigated.

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