Jonathan Wayne Vickers, 35, of Summersville, pleaded guilty on Apr. 2 to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Vickers admitted in court that he possessed a SCCY Industries model CPX-2 9mm pistol on February 13, 2024, in the Summersville area. Federal law bars individuals with prior felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition. Vickers was aware he was prohibited from having a gun due to his previous felony convictions for burglary and grand larceny in March 2021 and conspiracy to commit breaking and entering in March 2015, both handed down by the Nicholas County Circuit Court.
Vickers is scheduled for sentencing on July 16, where he faces up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine that could reach $250,000. United States Attorney Moore Capito announced the plea and commended the investigative efforts of the Nicholas County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney D. Keith Randolph is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at addressing illegal immigration issues as well as combating cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators.
Additional information about this case can be found through public records by searching Case No. 2:25-cr-185 on PACER or visiting the website for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
