Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

Press Release

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Timothy Jarrett Brown, 43, of Charleston, was sentenced today to two years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 24, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of 2011 Mercedes C300 driven by Brown in the Jefferson area of Kanawha County. During the traffic stop, a police K-9 alerted to the presence of controlled substances in the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed a small amount of methamphetamine in Brown's person, a Smith & Wesson model SW40VE .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol hidden in the electrical compartment of the vehicle's trunk, and quantities of 9mm ammunition in the vehicle. Brown told officers he possessed the firearm for protection.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Brown knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, heroin, in Kanawha County Circuit Court on January 31, 2020.

On August 19, 2023, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of Brown while he was driving his Mercedes in St. Albans. Officers searched the vehicle and found a Kahr Arms CM9 9-millimeter pistol hidden in the engine block. A female passenger in the vehicle told officers that Brown asked her to say the pistol belonged to her.

Brown has a long criminal history that also includes prior convictions for indecent liberties with a child, battery, domestic battery, violation of a protective order, failure to register as a sex offender, criminal possession of a firearm, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance-heroin, and theft.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the St. Albans Police Department.

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-203.

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Updated November 7, 2024