Bluefield Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A Bluefield man pled guilty today to a federal gun charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Tykeem Freeman, 25, entered his guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

“What can I say? Another convicted felon.  On parole.  With a firearm,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “These cases just keep coming and we keep prosecuting them. Now, he is still a felon, no longer on parole, and no longer possessing a firearm.”

Freeman admitted that April 19, 2018, agents with the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives executed a search warrant at the house he was living in with his brother.  When the agents entered the residence, Freeman was in possession of a Ruger, LCP .380 semi-automatic pistol.  He admitted that he attempted to hide the pistol from law enforcement officers because he knew he was not supposed to possess any firearms because he was a convicted felon.  He also admitted that at the time he committed this offense, he was still on parole out of the state of Virginia.  Freeman was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of a 2016 drug-related felony conviction in Tazewell County, Virginia.

Freeman faces up to 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on January 31, 2019.

Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is responsible for the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

SDWVNews and USAttyStuart

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