Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Francis Combs, 55, of Cool Ridge, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 1, 2024, Combs sold a Jimenez Arms model JA-Nine 9mm pistol to a confidential informant. Combs admitted to possessing the firearm and further admitted to selling a substance containing a quantity of fentanyl to the confidential informant during the transaction, which took place at Combs’ residence.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Combs knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for first-degree robbery in Raleigh County Circuit Court on June 26, 2007, and being a felon in possession of a firearm in Wyoming County Circuit Court on October 1, 2019.

Combs also admitted selling a substance containing a quantity of fentanyl and a Bryco Arms model Jennings J-22 .22-caliber pistol to a confidential informant in Raleigh County on July 30, 2024.

Combs is scheduled to be sentenced on November 14, 2025,  and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley Police Department.

United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley C. Shamblin and Alexander A. Redmon have prosecuted 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. 5:24-cr-188.

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