Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Melvin Theophilius Hill, 38, of Ashland, Kentucky, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 2, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Hill near 13th Street and Ninth Avenue in Huntington. Officers searched the vehicle and found a loaded FN 509 9mm handgun in the passenger seat rear pocket. Hill admitted to possessing the firearm and placing it where officers found it during the search.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Hill knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions in Boyd County, Kentucky, Circuit Court for second-degree robbery on May 9, 2008, and first-degree possession of a controlled substance on January 12, 2011.

Hill is scheduled to be sentenced on January 23, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 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 Huntington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans is 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. 3:22-cr-134.

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