Fayette County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Braden Robertson, 30, 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 July 6, 2024, Robertson possessed a Ruger model Wrangler .22-caliber revolver, a Colt model Buntline Scout .22-caliber revolver, a Ruger model Blackhawk .45-caliber revolver, a Sar Arms model SARB6P Hawk 9mm pistol, and an Excam model GT27 .25-caliber pistol.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Robertson knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for conspiracy to commit a felony and two counts of delivery of a controlled substance on July 30, 2018, in Fayette County Circuit Court.

Robertson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

Four of the firearms possessed by Robertson were stolen from a Fayette County pawn shop. On July 4, 2024, Jawuan Akil Watts and other individuals broke into the pawn shop on three occasions while the business was closed and stole 33 firearms, ammunition, coins, and a gaming console. Watts traded, sold, or gave many of the firearms to others in the Oak Hill community including individuals with felony convictions. On July 6, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the residence of Lesley Scott Watkins and found three firearms during the search, including two that were stolen from the pawn shop. Sixteen of the stolen firearms have not been recovered.

On December 4, 2025, Watts, 32, of Oak Hill, was sentenced to eight years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and Watkins, 50, of Oak Hill, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, each for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

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 Oak Hill Police Department.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney D. Keith Randolph is prosecuting the case.

These cases are 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. 2:26-cr-23.

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