Larry Joe Chapman, a 44-year-old resident of St. Albans, has entered a guilty plea for the federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The incident that led to this charge occurred on March 28, 2024, when law enforcement responded to a shoplifting report at a business on MacCorkle Avenue in South Charleston.
Court documents reveal that officers found Chapman in the storage room of the business with a knife. Upon arresting and searching him, they discovered a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard .380-caliber pistol and merchandise belonging to the store.
Chapman was aware of his prohibition from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions. These include breaking and entering on February 5, 2018, and conspiracy related to operating a clandestine drug laboratory on November 8, 2013. Both convictions were made in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
Chapman's sentencing is set for May 8, 2025. He faces up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
United States Attorney Will Thompson acknowledged the investigative efforts by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the South Charleston Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Marsh under United States District Judge Irene C. Berger's oversight.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. Launched on May 26, 2021, this strategy emphasizes community trust, support for violence prevention organizations, strategic enforcement priorities, and results measurement.
Further information can be accessed via the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia's website or through PACER by searching Case No. 2:24-cr-125.