Raleigh County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Francis Combs, 58, of Cool Ridge, was sentenced today to nine years and two 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 July 30, 2024, Combs sold a Bryco Arms model Jennings J-22 .22-caliber pistol to a confidential informant in Raleigh County. As part of his guilty plea, Combs admitted to conducting the transaction at his residence and after selling a quantity of fentanyl to the confidential informant at a gas station in Ghent.

Combs also admitted to selling a quantity of fentanyl and a Jimenez Arms model JA-Nine 9mm pistol to a confidential informant at his residence on August 1, 2024.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Combs knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for first-degree robbery in Raleigh County Circuit Court on June 26, 2007, and being a felon in possession of a firearm in Wyoming County Circuit Court on October 1, 2019.

This is Combs' fifth firearms-related conviction. At the time of his current offense, Combs was on parole for state burglary and robbery convictions. Combs has a criminal history that also includes prior convictions for delivery of methamphetamine and battery.

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 Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office, and the Beckley Police Department.

Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin and former Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon prosecuted 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. 5:24-cr-188.

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