Paul Jeremiah Buckner, 38, of Oak Hill, was sentenced on Apr. 24 to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The case highlights the enforcement of federal laws prohibiting individuals with prior felony convictions from possessing firearms. Such prosecutions are part of broader efforts to improve community safety and uphold justice through the work of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, according to the official website.
Court documents show that on October 7, 2024, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop in Glade Creek where Buckner was found with a Taurus TPC .380-caliber pistol as a passenger in a vehicle. Buckner admitted he knew he was not allowed to possess a firearm due to his previous felony conviction for delivery of a controlled substance in Fayette County Circuit Court on January 14, 2014.
United States Attorney Moore Capito announced the sentence and commended the investigative efforts by both the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the National Park Service. Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence while Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office covers 23 counties in southern West Virginia and operates under the United States Department of Justice according to its official website. The office employs 37 attorneys and 40 other personnel who prosecute federal crimes and handle civil cases for the United States according to its official website. It also offers representation in civil litigation and collects government debts across its district according to its official website.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, which uses resources from across the Department of Justice against illegal immigration, cartels, transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and violent crime perpetrators.
