Department of Justice

BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced to federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Harvery Booker, 54, was sentenced to 78 months in prison, to be followed by a 3 year term of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

Booker previously admitted that on September 12, 2018 he broke into a house in St. Albans and stole 32 firearms, including a machine gun.  At the time he stole the firearms, Booker had previously been convicted of at least three counts of breaking and entering, one count of aggravated robbery, and one count of escape. 

“I believe in second chances but, sadly, this guy never learned from his prior lengthy history in the American justice system,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “He stole 32 firearms, including a machine gun. Incredibly dangerous activity and he was a felon to boot. This is an egregious case.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, and the West Virginia State Police conducted the investigation.   United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Drew Inman handled the prosecution.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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