Wheeling man pleads guilty to unlawful possession of firearm

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Joseph W. Davis, 31, of Wheeling, pled guilty today to unlawful possession of a firearm, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.

Davis, who has a previous felony conviction in federal court in West Virginia, was discovered in unlawful possession of a .22 caliber revolver in January 2016 in Ohio County, West Virginia. Davis was previously convicted of the felony offense of “Aiding and Abetting in the Possession with Intent to Distribute More Than Five Grams of Cocaine Base” in the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia in January 2006.

Davis pled guilty today to one count of “Felon in Possession of a Firearm.” He faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Bernard prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Wheeling Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.

U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert presided.