Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Scott Edward Snook, 47, of Mechanicsburg, Ohio, admitted to possessing a HiPoint, Model C, 9mm semi-automatic pistol in Charleston on August 3, 2020. Snook further admitted to possessing a .22-caliber rifle that had been modified to be less than 26 inches in length on that date.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Snook knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his felony conviction for possession with intent to deliver heroin in Kanawha County Circuit Court on November 14, 2017.

Snook is scheduled to be sentenced on November 17, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, 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 U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Blackwell 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. 2:21-cr-10.

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