Charleston Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Federal Gun Crime (DOJ)

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Edgar Warren Willis Jr., 39, of Charleston, was sentenced today to 10 years 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 February 27, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Red Oak Street residence in Charleston where Willis was staying. Officers found a backpack in a bedroom containing a Lorcin Engineering Model L380 .380-caliber pistol during the search. Willis admitted to possessing the seized firearm.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Willis knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, to-wit heroin, on January 21, 2022, and for wanton endangerment and conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver a controlled substance, to-wit heroin, on August 10, 2015, all in Kanawha County Circuit Court.

Willis has a long criminal history that also includes convictions for domestic battery, violation of a protective order, brandishing and petit larceny. Willis was on parole at the time of the current offense.

Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department-Street Crimes Unit.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney D. Keith Randolph and former Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Marsh 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. 2:24-cr-89.

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