Source: Office of United States Attorneys
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Stephen Michael Wolford, 32, of Huntington, was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 29, 2023, a law enforcement attempted to initiate a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Wolford near the intersection of 27th Street and Ninth Avenue in Huntington. Wolford admitted that he fled in the vehicle, speeding in excess of 90 miles per hour before wrecking the vehicle and flipping it on its roof on the 1400 block of 28th Street. Wolford further admitted that he attempted to flee on foot before he was caught and arrested.
Officers found a Smith & Wesson Model M&P .40-caliber pistol at the location of the vehicle crash. Wolford admitted to possessing the firearm and further admitted to bringing the firearm into a Huntington business on March 28, 2023, and showing it to a store employee while shopping for accessories for the firearm.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Wolford knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for grand larceny in Cabell County Circuit Court on August 15, 2017.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted 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 results.
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. 3:23-cr-84.
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