FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 1, 2011
WAYNE COUNTY MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON ON ILLEGAL FIREARMS POSSESSION CHARGE
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Michael Anthony Clark, 50, of East Lynn, Wayne County, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 92 months in prison by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers for possessing firearms after having been convicted of felony offenses. On October 19, 2010, Clark admitted to traveling with an associate to the Smokin’ Aces storefront which was located in Huntington in order to sell firearms. The defendant admitted to being in possession of seven firearms, including a loaded 9-millimeter pistol on his person. The firearms, excluding the Accu-Tek, 9-millimeter pistol, were sold to an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) inside the storefront in exchange for $1,000. Clark admitted to providing the 9-millimeter pistol to agents as collateral on a proposed future transaction.
Clark was prohibited from possessing a firearm based on prior felony convictions in West Virginia and Georgia. The defendant admitted to possessing a total of 19 firearms, some of which were reported stolen at the time he possessed them.
This case is being prosecuted as part of a yearlong undercover operation that targeted illegal drugs and firearms crimes in the Huntington area. The operation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and assisted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Huntington Police Department, and various other law enforcement agencies. It was announced to the public in March after a grand jury returned indictments against 55 defendants.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.
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