New York Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Firearms

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A New York man who illegally possessed firearms in Cross Lanes in 2017 was sentenced today to 41 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Andre Durrell Watson, 33, previously pled guilty to prohibited possession of a firearm by a felon.  U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service.

In May and June of 2017, Watson was living at 5035 St. Patrick Circle in Cross Lanes.  Agents executed a search warrant at the residence on June 1, 2017, and recovered four firearms along with a large quantity of ammunition.  Watson admitted during his plea hearing that he possessed the firearms, a .40 caliber pistol, a 9mm pistol, and two 5.56mm AR-15 style rifles.  Watson also admitted that the .40 caliber pistol was previously stolen.  Watson was convicted in 2005 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania of the felony offense of burglary and was prohibited from possessing firearms by virtue of his conviction. 

Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.  United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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