Wheeling man admits to firearm charge

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - A Wheeling man has admitted to a firearms charge, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen announced.

Levar Jermain Matthews, age 40, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Matthews, having previously been convicted of Distribution of Crack Cocaine Within 1,000 feet of a School in the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, admitted to possessing a .38 special caliber revolver. The crime occurred in April 2017 in Ohio County.

Matthews 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. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wheeling Police Department investigated. 

U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert presided.