Fayette County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Paul Jeremiah Buckner, 37, of Oak Hill, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 7, 2024, a law enforcement officer in Glade Creek conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Buckner was a passenger. The officer found that Buckner possessed a Taurus TPC .380-caliber pistol during the traffic stop.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. As part of his guilty plea, Buckner admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possession the firearm because of his prior felony conviction for delivery of a controlled substance in Fayette County Circuit Court on January 14, 2014.

Buckner is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24,2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, at up three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the National Park Service.

United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

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. 5:25-cr-58.

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