Guilty Pleas Obtained in Federal Firearms Cases

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - Five people have entered guilty pleas to firearms charges in the Northern District of West Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.

Ricardo Xavier Jones, 46, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, pled guilty to the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. Jones was on parole when, during a probation home check, officers seized a shotgun and ammunition. The firearm was concealed in the defendant's mattress. Jones is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior grand larceny and drug convictions.

Gary Owen Jones, 54, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, pled guilty to the unlawful possession of a firearm. A West Virginia state probation officer seized a rifle from Jones's home during a routine parole visit. Jones is prohibited from possessing firearms due a conviction for making terroristic threats in Berkeley County, as well as another firearms conviction.

Raymond Earl Bowers, III, 42, of Morgantown, West Virginia, pled guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm. Bowers' former domestic partner advised the WVU Police Department that Bowers was a convicted felon with firearms and ammunition. Monongalia County Sheriff's Deputies then secured a search warrant and searched Bowers' van and home, which led to the seizure of three rifles, three pistols, a shotgun, and multiple rounds of ammunition. Bowers is prohibited because of prior domestic violence convictions.

Tyler Earl Mercer, 32, of Westover, West Virginia, pled guilty to the unlawful possession of a firearm. Officers responded to a call about suspicious activity in which people looking into vehicles with a flashlight in Monongalia County. After encountering Mercer, officers confirmed that he had an active warrant related to charges for grand larceny and an attempt to disarm a law enforcement officer. During his arrest, officers located a revolver in Mercer's waistband. Mercer is prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior counterfeiting conviction.

Caitlin Ashley Fox, 28, of Moorefield, West Virginia, pled guilty to making a false statement to a federal officer. Fox's boyfriend was under investigation for firearms violations. Fox lied to federal agents on several occasions attempting to protect her boyfriend.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Kane, Andrew Cogar, Zelda Wesley, and Stephen Warner are prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government.

Investigative agencies include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia University Police Department; the Monongalia County Sheriff's Office; and the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Parole Services.

These cases are a part of Operation Take Back America 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 repel the invasion of illegal immigration.