Wetzel County man admits to firearms charge

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Joseph Allen Sams, of Jacksonsburg, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.

Sams, 36, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Sams, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of a prior felony conviction, admitted to having a 20-gauge shotgun and nine rounds of 20-gause ammunition in August 2021 in Tyler County.

Sams faces up to 10 years of 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.

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 Tyler County Sheriff’s Office investigated.

U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.