Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Thomas McNeil Hedrick II, 36, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 26, 2023, Hedrick visited a Shrewsbury residence while armed with a Ruger model AR-556 semi-automatic rifle loaded with a 60-round drum magazine and equipped with a bipod. Hedrick admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms, and that he sought to conceal the loaded semi-automatic rifle under his jacket when he entered and left the residence. Hedrick further admitted that surveillance video at the residence captured his actions. The surveillance video captured another felony offense committed while Hedrick was in possession of the firearm.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Hedrick knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition because of his prior felony conviction for wanton endangerment in Kanawha County Circuit Court on March 1, 2022.

Hedrick is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years 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) and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office

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

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. 2:24-cr-56.

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