Charleston Man Sentenced for Federal Gun Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to six months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, Emmanuel Lamont Covington, 30, pawned a stolen Bond Arms Texas Defender, .45/.410-caliber Derringer pistol at a Charleston pawn shop on June 23, 2020.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Covington admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his 2015 felony conviction in Kanawha County Circuit Court for conspiracy to distribute heroin.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie M. White and Ryan A. Keefe prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00128.

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