Ryan Dontrez Lynn, a 37-year-old resident of Martinsburg, was sentenced on May 5 to 120 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, according to U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
The sentencing comes as part of efforts to address violent crime and illegal firearms possession in the region. Authorities said Lynn’s criminal history includes robbery, assault, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Law enforcement responded to a domestic dispute complaint at Lynn’s home. When Berkeley County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived, Lynn left the scene by vehicle. Officers conducted a traffic stop and discovered a firearm with an obliterated serial number inside his car, along with drugs and $860 in cash. At the time of this incident, Lynn was on supervised release following an earlier firearms conviction.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Kane prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, which is described as “a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and to repel the invasion of illegal immigration.” U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided over sentencing.
