Department of Justice

CHARLESTON, W.VA. – A Clay County man pled guilty to a federal firearms charge, said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Timothy Fields, 40, of Procious, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms.   The investigation was conducted by the Jackson County Probation Office, Clay County Sheriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking possession of a firearm is a minor offense if you’re a felon,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Fields faces up to 10 years in prison.  It is entirely simple.  If you’re a felon, you’ve lost the right to possess a firearm.”

On October 23, 2017, Fields was found by his probation officer to be in possession of at least thirteen firearms in his residence in Clay County.  At the time, Fields was on probation following a felony conviction for grand larceny out of Jackson County, West Virginia. Fields faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 29, 2019. 

United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., presided over the plea hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is handling the prosecution.  

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is 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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