Charleston Felon Pleads Guilty to Gun Possession

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Brandon J. Carter, 35, of Charleston, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.

On January 12, 2019, at approximately 3:38 a.m., an officer with the Charleston Police Department initiated a traffic stop on a scooter operated by Brandon Carter because it was being operated on the sidewalk at Patrick Street near Fourth Avenue. The officer recognized Carter from a shooting incident that occurred on October 7, 2018, near Delaware Avenue. The officer knew that Carter is a prohibited person and Carter admitted to having three prior felonies that prohibit him from possessing firearms. Carter told the officer that he was currently out on bond relative to the incident from October 2018. Carter told the officer, prior to a pat-down, that he was in possession of a Kel-Tec .380  firearm.

Carter faces up to ten years in prison when he is sentenced on November 6, 2019.

The Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is handling the prosecution.  United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) 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.

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