Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime (DOJ)

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Justin Antonio Jones, 40, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 29, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in Mingo County, West Virginia. During the traffic stop, officers heard what they believed was the sound of a slide moving on a semi-automatic firearm coming from the area of another vehicle parked nearby. Officers investigated the sound and encountered Jones standing by the other vehicle. Officers saw Jones place an object beneath the passenger side front fire of that vehicle and recovered a Keltec model PF-9 9mm pistol from that spot.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Jones knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance on October 27, 2008, and on May 22, 2012, both in Mingo County Circuit Court.

Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

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 Mingo County Sheriff's Office.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney D. Keith Randolph is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

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 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. by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-191.

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