Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crimes

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Keara Kilpatrick, 21, of Charleston, pleaded guilty yesterday to stealing firearms from two Kanawha County businesses. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 9, 2022, Kilpatrick drove a co-defendant to a business in Dunbar and stole a Diamondback Firearms DB15 5.56 caliber rifle and a Smith and Wesson M&P 15-22 .22 caliber rifle. On November 10, 2022, Kilpatrick drove her co-defendant to a Charleston business and stole a Custom Arms & Accessories LD-15 5.56 caliber rifle and a DPMS Panther Arms A-15 5.56 caliber rifle. Kilpatrick admitted to law enforcement that she stole the firearms. Three of the four stolen firearms have been recovered by law enforcement.

Kilpatrick is scheduled to be sentenced on October 4, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

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

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Keefe and Brian Parsons are prosecuting the case.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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. 2:23-cr-28. 

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