Nicholas Kagen Woodin, a 34-year-old resident of Charleston, West Virginia, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The plea was entered on January 28, 2026.
Court documents and statements indicate that law enforcement officers went to Woodin’s home on November 22, 2024, to arrest him for alleged parole violations. During the arrest, officers found a Hi-Point model C9 9mm pistol under the pillow in his bedroom.
Federal law bars individuals with felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition. Woodin had prior felony convictions for first-degree robbery in Putnam County Circuit Court on January 17, 2018; possession of a stolen vehicle in Kanawha County Circuit Court on September 6, 2018; and escape from custody in Fayette County Circuit Court on September 13, 2020. He acknowledged he was aware of this prohibition.
Woodin is scheduled for sentencing on May 18, 2026. He faces up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine that could reach $250,000.
United States Attorney Moore Capito announced the plea and recognized the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), West Virginia Parole Services, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Amy L. McLaughlin is prosecuting the case.
The case falls under Operation Take Back America. This initiative uses Department of Justice resources to address illegal immigration issues, target cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from violent crime.
Further information about this case can be found by searching Case No. 2:25-cr-178 on PACERLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..
