Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Charge

CHARLESTON, W.VA. – An Ohio man pled guilty to a federal firearms charge, said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Brandon Ray Simpson, 29, pled guilty to being in possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.   The investigation was conducted by the West Virginia State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  

On February 7, 2017, the West Virginia State Police stopped a vehicle in the Mill Creek Area, Logan County, West Virginia, for the driver’s failure to wear a seat belt.  The Trooper also recognized the driver and knew the driver’s license was suspended.  Simpson was in the vehicle as the passenger and he exited the vehicle running from the State Police.  Simpson had a firearm in his waistband, and attempted to discard the firearm by tossing it into a nearby creek.  Trooper caught Simpson and retrieved the firearm from the creek.  The gun’s serial number was obliterated, likely with a grinder.

Simpson faces up to 10 years in prison on the possession of an obliterated serial number charge when he is sentenced on May 20, 2019. 

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the plea hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Chris Arthur is handling the prosecution.  

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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