Quenin Owen Brown, a 34-year-old resident of Shady Spring, West Virginia, was sentenced to eleven years and four months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Following his prison term, Brown will also serve three years under supervised release.
According to court records and statements presented during the proceedings, law enforcement encountered Brown on December 28, 2024, at a gas station in Nitro. Officers arrested him on an outstanding warrant for a parole violation and discovered he was carrying a loaded HS Produkt (Springfield) Hellcat 9mm pistol concealed in a belly holster. A subsequent search of his vehicle led officers to two more loaded firearms: a Glock model 43 9mm pistol and a Taurus model G3 9mm pistol. All three guns were found to have been reported stolen.
Federal regulations bar individuals with prior felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition. Brown had previous felony convictions in Kanawha County Circuit Court for unlawful wounding (February 6, 2012), as well as fleeing with reckless indifference to the safety of others and possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine (November 13, 2018). Authorities stated that Brown was aware he was not allowed to possess firearms due to these convictions.
United States Attorney Moore Capito acknowledged the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Nitro Police Department for their work on the case. “United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Nitro Police Department.”
The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration issues, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime.
Further information about this case can be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia or by searching Case No. 3:25-cr-84 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..
