Wetzel County man sentenced for firearms charge

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Joseph Harrison, of Pine Grove, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 15 months incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Harrison, age 48, pled guilty to one count of “Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition” in August 2018. Harrison, having previously been convicted of a felony, is accused of having a .22 caliber revolver, and rounds of ammunition for the firearm in October 2017 in Wetzel County.

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. The Office of the Attorney General 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, the Attorney General’s Office 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 David J. Perri prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office investigated.

U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.