Kanawha County Man Gets Federal Prison Time For Illegal Possession Of An Ak-47 Assault Rifle And Other Firearms

CHARLESTON, W.Va. –A Kanawha County man who previously admitted to illegally possessing numerous firearms including an AK-47 assault rifle was sentenced today to four years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. Mark Daniel Davis, 52, of Rand, Kanawha County, W.Va., previously pleaded guilty to a charge contained in an indictment returned in May 2012. 

On April 30, 2012, Deputy U.S. Marshals arrived at the defendant’s Rand residence to execute an arrest warrant.  During the execution of the warrant, law enforcement officers observed the defendant standing inside of the residence.  Davis failed to comply with law enforcement’s order to open the front door.  As a result, deputy U.S. Marshals entered the residence through the back door and arrested the defendant.  Deputy U.S. Marshals recovered a loaded 7.62 millimeter pistol from a bedroom night stand and a fully-loaded semi-automatic rifle with an attached bayonet. 

Deputy U.S. Marshals also obtained a search warrant for a gun safe located at the residence.  During the execution of the search warrant on the gun safe, law enforcement found six rifles, including an AK-47 rifle with a bayonet, magazines for each firearm and ammunition.  Law enforcement also recovered body armor, which included a bulletproof vest, from the defendant’s living room area.      

Davis was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction in March 2003 in the Circuit Court of Wayne County, Michigan for assault. 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service.  Assistant United States Attorney William King handled the prosecution.  The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston.   

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking existing local programs targeting gun crime