Roane County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kenneth Alan Paxton II, 58, of Walton, pleaded guilty today to unlawfully engaging in the business of dealing in firearms.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from September 18, 2018 through August 3, 2022, Paxton regularly sold firearms without a Federal Firearms License. Paxton admitted that he advertised his sale of firearms in a local trading publication and earned approximately $25 in net profits for each transaction. Paxton further admitted that he received and carried out requests for specific firearms from individuals and often sold to individuals who didn’t want to have a firearm in their name. Twelve of the firearms Paxton sold were recovered at crimes scenes. Of those 12 firearms, seven were recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes within 16 days of Paxton purchasing them from businesses with a Federal Firearms License.

Paxton is scheduled to be sentenced on January 29, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon is prosecuting the case.

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. 2:23-cr-154. 

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