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Press Release

Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Charleston man pled guilty today to a federal gun crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Tijuan Tyson, 30, entered his guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department.

Tyson admitted that on October 19, 2015, he was approached by officers because he looked similar to a suspect involved in a robbery. He appeared nervous, had his hands in his pocket, and dropped a bag of suspected marijuana on the ground prior to taking off on foot. He was apprehended and during a search incident to arrest, officers located the loaded and operable Arsenal CO, 9 mm caliber pistol, which was listed as stolen, in his pocket.

Tyson is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has been convicted of the felony of  use of an access device with the intent to defraud.

Tyson faces up to ten years in federal prison when he is sentenced in August 2019.  United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is handling the prosecution.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, 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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Updated May 29, 2019

Topics
Firearms Offenses
Project Safe Neighborhoods